Citation:

Shabana, M. I., A. O. Dabbous, T. El-Dessouky, and R. A. Koura, "Comparison of three fitting rationales in adults in an artificial intelligence parallel processing hearing aid", The Egyptian Journal of Otolaryngology, vol. 29, pp. 104–117, 2013.

Abstract:

Introduction
Hearing rehabilitation using nonlinear hearing aid (HA) fitting formulae provides
hearing-impaired individuals with the audibility, comfort, and speech intelligibility
for a better life.
Objective
To compare three nonlinear HA fitting formulae in adults in a Channel Free artificial
intelligence parallel processing HA.
Materials and methods
The study included 19 adults with bilateral moderate to severe sensorineural hearing
loss, monaurally fitted with nonlinear HA. Comparisons were made on the basis of
aided speech intelligibility in quiet and in noise, aided sound field thresholds, and
functional performance in real life using APHAB, COSI, and GHABP questionnaires.
Results
The three formulae have significantly improved speech discrimination in adults, with no
significant difference among the formulae for speech intelligibility in quiet or in noise,
with no sex or HA experience differences. The three formulae have significantly
improved functional performance in real-life speech communication, with the NAL-NL1-
based formula showing the greatest degree of benefit and improvement in listening
needs, followed by NAL-NL1 and then DSL [I/O]. However, amplification with the three
formulae increased aversiveness to environmental sounds. Participants reported
significant benefits using NAL and NAL-NL1-based formulae. Experienced HA users,
using the NAL-NL1-based formula, showed significantly less difficulty in listening
quality in large spaces and greater capacity to recognize speech within competitive
noise and better tolerance to environmental sounds than nonexperienced users.
The SPIN test correlated well with real-life speech communication.
Conclusion
The three fitting rationales have equally improved intelligibility, with variable degrees
of improvement in real-life speech communication with preferences for NAL-NL1 and
the manufacture-specific NAL-NL1-based formula