Influence of maximum power output on speech understanding with bone anchored hearing systems

Abstract

Background: Maximum power output (MPO) levels of bone anchored hearing systems (BAHS) vary between different devices, but are significantly lower than those of conventional hearing aids, potentially limiting speech understanding.

Aims/objectives: To investigate, how MPO influences speech understanding in quiet and in noise in BAHS users.

Materials and methods: 12 adult BAHS users with a bilateral conductive hearing loss and additional sensorineural hearing components between 4 and 45 dB (500–4000 Hz) participated in the study. Speech understanding was measured at 65 dB in quiet and in noise with 4 different MPO level settings, covering the approximate range of MPOs found in currently available BAHS devices.

Results: Speech understanding in quiet and in noise decreased with increasing sensorineural hearing loss. MPOs levels did not influence speech understanding in quiet significantly. In contrast, speech understanding in noise was better with higher MPOs (average improvement in signal-to-noise ratio +3.2 dB, p < .001), but only if the sensorineural hearing loss component was above approximately 35 dB.

Conclusions and significance: At normal conversational levels, higher MPOs have little or no influence on speech understanding in quiet with BAHS. However, they can improve speech understanding in noise for users with additional sensorineural hearing loss.

Chinese abstract

背景：骨锚定听力系统（BAHS）的最大功率输出（MPO）水平在不同装置之间有所不同, 但它明显低于常规助听器, 并潜在地限制语音理解。

目的：研究MPO对BAHS用户在安静和噪声环境下的语音理解的影响。

材料与方法：12例双侧传导性听力损失的成人BAHS使用者及4和45 dB（500～4000 Hz）的附加感音神经性听力成分参与研究。在65dB条件下及4种不同MPO级别设置中, 在安静和噪声中测量语音理解, 涵盖当前BAHS设备中所能发现的MPOS的大致范围。

结果：随着感音神经性听力损失的增加, 安静和噪声环境下的言语理解能力下降。MPOs水平对安静状态下的言语理解没有显著影响。相比之下, MPOs较高时, 噪声对语音理解的影响更大, （平均信噪比提高+3.2dB, P＜0.001）, 但只有当感觉神经性听力损失成分在35dB以上才会这样。

结论与意义：在正常会话水平时, 较高的MPOs对BAHS安静状态下的言语理解几乎没有影响。然而, 它们可以为有其它感觉神经性听力损失的用户提高在噪声中的语音理解。

Keywords:

• Bone anchored devices bone conduction speech in noise mixed hearing loss

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Acknowledgments

We are indebted to Jona Hoffman from Cochlear Bone Anchored Hearing Solutions, Mölnlycke, Sweden, for his help in the correct setting of the different MPO levels.

Disclosure statement

The work of Tom Gawliczek was supported by a research grant from Cochlear Bone Anchored Hearing Solutions, M€olnlycke, Sweden, and by Cochlear, Europe.