The overall focus of this project is to explore how the rapidly changing technology of amplification systems might be applied to young children. We will approach this problem by dividing the project into three major components. The first component focuses on the audibility of the amplified long-term average speech spectrum (LTASS) across a variety of listening conditions. The intent is to develop an approach that can estimate audibility accurately after speech has been processed by both linear and nonlinear hearing aids. The second component focuses on the relation between acoustic measures of the short-term components of amplified speed and perception. We propose to develop a model to relate audibility to perception for specific classes of speed sounds. The final component will focus on the development and validation of an automated, software-based hearing-aid fitting system for young children which will incorporate characteristics from both the long-term and short-term speech studies. The work proposed in this project will enable us to incorporate technological advances in amplification systems into hearing-aid fittings for young children. As we become better able to accurately assess the audibility of amplified speech, specific (re)habilitation strategies, individualized to each child's needs, can be utilized that will enhance the child's communication skills and development.

Project Start
1999-09-01
Project End
2001-08-31
Budget Start
1997-10-01
Budget End
1998-09-30
Support Year
10
Fiscal Year
1999
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Father Flanagan's Boys' Home
Department
Type
DUNS #
City
Boys Town
State
NE
Country
United States
Zip Code
68010
Song, Lei; McGee, Joann; Walsh, Edward J (2008) The influence of thyroid hormone deficiency on the development of cochlear nonlinearities. J Assoc Res Otolaryngol 9:464-76
Song, Lei; McGee, JoAnn; Walsh, Edward J (2008) Development of cochlear amplification, frequency tuning, and two-tone suppression in the mouse. J Neurophysiol 99:344-55
Varga, R; Avenarius, M R; Kelley, P M et al. (2006) OTOF mutations revealed by genetic analysis of hearing loss families including a potential temperature sensitive auditory neuropathy allele. J Med Genet 43:576-81
Song, Lei; McGee, Jo Ann; Walsh, Edward J (2006) Consequences of combined maternal, fetal and persistent postnatal hypothyroidism on the development of auditory function in Tshrhyt mutant mice. Brain Res 1101:59-72
Song, Lei; McGee, Joann; Walsh, Edward J (2006) Frequency- and level-dependent changes in auditory brainstem responses (ABRS) in developing mice. J Acoust Soc Am 119:2242-57
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Pennings, Ronald J E; Topsakal, Vedat; Astuto, Lisa et al. (2004) Variable clinical features in patients with CDH23 mutations (USH1D-DFNB12). Otol Neurotol 25:699-706
Varga, R; Kelley, P M; Keats, B J et al. (2003) Non-syndromic recessive auditory neuropathy is the result of mutations in the otoferlin (OTOF) gene. J Med Genet 40:45-50
Higgins, Maureen B; McCleary, Elizabeth A; Carney, Arlene Earley et al. (2003) Longitudinal changes in children's speech and voice physiology after cochlear implantation. Ear Hear 24:48-70
Bhattacharya, Gautam; Miller, Caroline; Kimberling, William J et al. (2002) Localization and expression of usherin: a novel basement membrane protein defective in people with Usher's syndrome type IIa. Hear Res 163:1-11

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