• Healthcare Informatics Research
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.263-275
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• 2018

Objectives: Automated audiometry provides an opportunity to do audiometry when there is no direct access to a clinical audiologist. This approach will help to use hearing services and resources efficiently. The purpose of this study was to review studies related to automated audiometry by focusing on the implementation of an audiometer, the use of transducers and evaluation methods. Methods: This review study was conducted in 2017. The papers related to the design and implementation of automated audiometry were searched in the following databases: Science Direct, Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus. The time frame for the papers was between January 1, 2010 and August 31, 2017. Initially, 143 papers were found, and after screening, the number of papers was reduced to 16. Results: The findings showed that the implementation methods were categorized into the use of software (7 papers), hardware (3 papers) and smartphones/tablets (6 papers). The used transducers were a variety of earphones and bone vibrators. Different evaluation methods were used to evaluate the accuracy and the reliability of the diagnoses. However, in most studies, no significant difference was found between automated and traditional audiometry. Conclusions: It seems that automated audiometry produces the same results compared with traditional audiometry. However, the main advantages of this method; namely, saving costs and increased accessibility to hearing services, can lead to a faster diagnosis of hearing impairment, especially in poor areas.

• Journal of Audiology & Otology
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.27-32
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• 2019

Background and Objectives: Detection of auditory signals may be improved when maskers far from the frequency of the target signal are coherently amplitude-modulated. This improvement of signal detection is called comodulation masking release (CMR). In the CMR experiments, flankers have been usually arranged symmetrically. In practice, we will be confronted with a problem by using symmetric flankers due to the limited output of clinical audiometers, especially at high-frequency. We aimed to check whether flanker arrangement has any effect on the amount of CMR, especially when there is no flankers with a frequency higher than the signal. Subjects and Methods: Eighteen normal hearing listeners ranging in age from 20 to 46 years old participated. Symmetric (2-2) and asymmetric (3-1 and 4-0) flankers were used and then the amount of CMR compared among them. Results: Our results showed in the same numbers of flankers, there were no statistically CMR differences between symmetric and asymmetric arrangement. Also when we did not have a flanker at a frequency higher than the signal and all flankers were placed below the signal, there was no statistically difference with the symmetric arrangement. Conclusions: The asymmetry of the flankers and also omitting the flankers with a frequency higher than the signal, have no effect on CMR results. We concluded that CMR can be considered by using clinical audiometer.

• Korean Journal of Audiology
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.27-32
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• 2019

Background and Objectives: Detection of auditory signals may be improved when maskers far from the frequency of the target signal are coherently amplitude-modulated. This improvement of signal detection is called comodulation masking release (CMR). In the CMR experiments, flankers have been usually arranged symmetrically. In practice, we will be confronted with a problem by using symmetric flankers due to the limited output of clinical audiometers, especially at high-frequency. We aimed to check whether flanker arrangement has any effect on the amount of CMR, especially when there is no flankers with a frequency higher than the signal. Subjects and Methods: Eighteen normal hearing listeners ranging in age from 20 to 46 years old participated. Symmetric (2-2) and asymmetric (3-1 and 4-0) flankers were used and then the amount of CMR compared among them. Results: Our results showed in the same numbers of flankers, there were no statistically CMR differences between symmetric and asymmetric arrangement. Also when we did not have a flanker at a frequency higher than the signal and all flankers were placed below the signal, there was no statistically difference with the symmetric arrangement. Conclusions: The asymmetry of the flankers and also omitting the flankers with a frequency higher than the signal, have no effect on CMR results. We concluded that CMR can be considered by using clinical audiometer.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.11 no.12
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• pp.5120-5126
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• 2010

ABLB(Alternate Binaural Loudness Balance) test is one of the medical assessments to diagnose detailed lesion of sensory-neural hearing loss based on a recruitment phenomenon. This paper describes an Auto ABLB test software. This software automatically decides test frequency and intensity of first test tone. And it supports an automatic algorithm that analyses the subject's reponses in the current step and then decides intensity of tone provided in next step. Also, this software supports an interface to control and monitor subject's ABLB test. The assessment result is represented by a ladder diagram. The output of this software has been verified using a digital oscilloscope.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.1325-1332
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• 2010

SISI(Short Increment Sensitivity Index) test is to identify recruitment phenomenon that is used to diagnose detailed lesion of sensory-neural hearing loss. This paper describes SISI test software implemented to personal computer(PC). This software supports two test modes, consisting of auto-mode and manual-mode, which are classified according to whether or not audiologist to lead test, thereby enabling cost effective test. In addition, it has been designed to perform automatic masking in case of necessity. And by supporting not only 1dB increment but also 2 and 5dB increment, SISI test program of this paper makes it possible to acquire more accurate test result.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.199-206
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• 2020

Background: In a wide range of industries, noise-induced hearing loss remains one of the most prevalent occupational problems. This study aimed to assess the noise exposure level and associated factors of hearing loss among textile workers in Yangon Region, Myanmar. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at a Textile mill (Thamine), Yangon Region, from April to December 2018. In total, 226 workers who were randomly selected from 3 weaving sections participated in face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire. A digital sound level meter and pure-tone audiometer were used for the assessment of noise exposure level and hearing loss, respectively. Logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the associated factors of hearing loss. Results: In total workers, 66.4% were exposed to ≥85 dB(A) of noise exposure, and the prevalence of hearing loss was 25.7%. Age ≥35 years, below high school education, hearing difficulty, tinnitus, hypertension, > 9 years of service duration in a textile mill were positively associated with hearing loss. After adjusting confounding factors, age ≥35 years (adjusted odds ratio = 6.90, 95% confidence interval = 3.45-13.82) and tinnitus (adjusted odds ratio = 2.88, 95% confidence interval = 1.13-7.37) were persistently associated with hearing loss. Conclusion: Providing occupational hazard education and enforcement of occupational safety regulations should be taken to decrease the noise exposure level. The regular audiometry test should be conducted for assessment of hearing threshold shift. The employer needs to implement a hearing conservation program in workplace when noise exposure reaches or exceeds 85 dB(A) for 8 hours.

• Proceedings of the KOR-BRONCHOESO Conference
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• 1979.05a
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• pp.4.3-4
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• 1979

In the cases of the experimentally destroyed receptor organ of the Corti of the cats, "electric cochlea" were inserted near the auditory neuron through the Scala tympani as an input of the inner device, and outer device is placed near the receiver of the audiometer. During exposing noise through the outer device, kymographic record were obtained as following: 1) Correlation between increasing intensity and amplitude showed parallel responses 2) The auricular reflex by repeated stimulation of the sound showed considerable increase at first, and decrease respectively. 3) In this experimental animals, absolutely non-responsed period, relatively non-responsed period and responsed period were observed. 4) Above mentioned reflex indicate that "Auditory sensation" can be induced by inserted "Electric cochlea" in the cases of the experimentally destroyed receptor organ of Corti of the cats.

• Proceedings of the KOR-BRONCHOESO Conference
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• 1978.06a
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• pp.8.2-8
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• 1978

This paper was designed to investigate the causes of child hearing loss which is essential to language development especialy in young childhood. Accurate history taking, precise otolaryngological examination and impedence audiometry were performed on 185 hard of hearing children under age 5 during last 8 months and investigated its causes. The results were as follows: 1. Infections diseases were the most common causes of sensorineural hearing loss (44/123cases, 30.1%), and mother's condition during pregnancy the second, and birth injury or head trauma the third. 2. Acute or chronic ear ear diseases were the most common causes of counductive hearing loss (32/62, 51.6%), frequent URI the second (19/62, .30.6%), and adenoid vegetation the third (7/62, 11.3%). 3. The majority of causes of child hearing loss under age 5 was exogenous (179/185 cases, 96.8%), and the minority was endogenous (6/185 cases, 3.2%).

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.141-147
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• 2019

Background: The present study aimed to evaluate the clinical association between cadmium exposure and hearing impairment among the Korean population. Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study used the data obtained from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were used for our study. Finally, 3,228 participants were included in our study, which were then divided into quartiles based on their blood cadmium levels: first quartile (1Q), second quartile (2Q), third quartile (3Q), and fourth quartile (4Q) groups. The hearing thresholds were measured using an automatic audiometer at 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 kHz. Hearing loss (HL) was defined as >25 dB average hearing threshold (AHT). Results: All the groups had 807 participants each. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curves of cadmium level for HL were 0.634 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.621-0.646). The participants in the 4Q group had higher Low/Mid-Freq, High-Freq, and AHT values than those in the other groups in the multivariate analysis after adjusting for confounding factors. The logistic regression showed that the OR for HL per $1{\mu}g/L$ increase in cadmium was 1.25 (95% CI, 1.09-1.44; p=0.002) on the multivariate analysis. Moreover, the multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that the participants in the 4Q group exhibited a 1.59-, 1.38-, and 1.41-fold higher odds for HL than those in the 1Q, 2Q, and 3Q groups, respectively. Conclusion: High cadmium level quartile was associated with increased hearing thresholds and HL among the Korean adult population.

• Journal of Audiology & Otology
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.65-71
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• 2021

Background and Objectives: In masking level difference (MLD), the masked detection threshold for a signal is determined as a function of the relative interaural differences between the signal and the masker. Study 1 analyzed the results of school-aged children with good school performance in the MLD test, and study 2 compared their results with those of a group of children with poor academic performance. Subjects and Methods: Study 1 was conducted with 47 school-aged children with good academic performance (GI) and study 2 was carried out with 32 school-aged children with poor academic performance (GII). The inclusion criteria adopted for both studies were hearing thresholds within normal limits in basic audiological evaluation. Study 1 also considered normal performance in the central auditory processing test battery and absence of auditory complaints and/or of attention, language or speech issues. The MLD test was administered with a pure pulsatile tone of 500 Hz, in a binaural mode and intensity of 50 dBSL, using a CD player and audiometer. Results: In study 1, no significant correlation was observed, considering the influence of the variables age and sex in relation to the results obtained in homophase (SoNo), antiphase (SπNo) and MLD threshold conditions. The final mean MLD threshold was 13.66 dB. In study 2, the variables did not influence the test performance either. There was a significant difference between test results in SπNo conditions of the two groups, while no differences were found both in SoNo conditions and the final result of MLD. Conclusions: In study 1, the cut-off criterion of school-aged children in the MLD test was 9.3 dB. The variables (sex and age) did not interfere with the MLD results. In study 2, school performance did not differ in the MLD results. GII group showed inferior results than GI group, only in SπNo condition.