An Evaluation Of An Auditory Brainstem Response

Hearing loss continues to linger in the elderly population of today’s society. Yet, the onset of hearing loss can occur at any age and at any point in

The ear is an extraordinary human organ that many people take for granted until it doesn’t function. It is the only device that allows the human to hear sounds in their environment. The ear is made up of many parts that distinguish various sounds through different means. The ear anatomy and physiology along with how sound waves are transmitted into meaningful sounds will help one understand how hearing loss occurs.

Auditory Processing Disorders, also known as Central Processing Disorders, are difficulties in the processing of auditory information in the central nervous system. The definition for an Auditory Processing Disorder is frequently changing and evolving. According to ASHA standards in 2005, a “central processing disorder refers to difficulties in the perceptual processing of auditory information in the central nervous system and the neurobiological activity that underlies the processing and gives rise to the electrophysiological auditory potentials (ASHA 2005).” Recent evidence has declared auditory processing disorders to be a legitimate clinical disorder resulting from confirmation of the link between well-defined lesions of the central nervous system and deficits on behavioral and electrophysiological central auditory measures (Musiek, F. Journal of American Academy of Audiology). An individual is likely to perform normally in tests including clicks and tones, rather than speech. There is a significant difference between the receptors for audition and speech processing. It is imperative that these disorders are diagnosed and treated early in a child’s development to eliminate developmental negative consequences.

The hearing tests with the tuning fork demonstrated a form of conductive hearing loss. Conductive hearing loss is seen in people with cerumen impaction, middle ear effusions, cholesteatomas and otoslcerosis. However, inspection of the external ear canal and middle ear revealed cleared tympanic membranes. Upon a further audiometric work, up, a carhart notch was noted which is consistent with otoslcerosis.

Cochlear implants are commonly used in modern science to treat patients with deafness in one or both ears. The structure of cochlear implants are as follows, an outer component, a transmitter, a receiver-stimulator package and the microelectrode array(Sigfrid D. Soli, 2011). The outer component of a cochlear implant records sound waves, while the transmitter brings the recorded sounds to the receiver-stimulator. The receiver-stimulator then converts the recorded sound waves to electrical impulses, and brings them to the electrode array, which then stimulates the auditory nerve and provides artificial hearing(Tan, Walshe, Viani, & Al-Rubeai, 2013).

Braydon seemed to be to be a healthy newborn. However, the doctor told his parents that he had failed his newborn hearing test. After several follow-ups and screenings for his hearing, he continued to fail. When he was approximately five months old, he had an Auditory Brain Response (ABR) test (S. Smith, personal communication, July 15, 2015). According to Falvo, an ABR is a test that measures the nerve’s response to sound (Falvo, 2014). His mother stated that after he had failed that test, it was determined that he had a profound hearing loss. The doctors explained to her that the hairs inside his cochlea had not developed, and this is the reason he can not hear sound (S. Smith, personal communication, July 15, 2015). Falvo (2014) states that there must be greater than 90dB loss for the individual to be diagnosed with profound hearing loss. Also, the individual had the tendency to feel sensations or could only hear sounds that were extremely loud. After the diagnoses, the doctor wanted him to try hearing aids. After getting his hearing aids, he wore them for a few weeks, the they did not help. Her wish for him was to get his hearing back because she wanted him to have a “normal” life. She did not want him to have to struggle with getting people to understand what he was saying (S. Smith, personal communication, July 15,

Since many measures of analysis were found for pre- and post-operatory hearing outcomes (scales and tests), rendering it difficult to compare the results of each author.

If I were to get into an accident, and had to choose which part of the brain I would be okay with being damaged, I think I would have to choose the Auditory Cortex. Damage to the Auditory Cortex in humans means the loss of awareness in sound. If the damage was severe there is a chance I would go completely deaf. However, there is the slight chance that I could still have reactions to sounds. I may still be able to tell the difference between high and low pitch frequencies in the sounds. I can also possibly be able to tell which direction a sound is coming from. There is also a chance it would cause me to have balance issues, and excessive ringing in the ears. Most of the time this type of damage is permeant. I think that I could handle the

Explain that wearing the aids as often and as consistently as possible is essential to speech and language development for the child. The hearing aids provide access to sounds for the child and without this stimulation speech and language development will be negatively impacted. Auditory input is needed to help the child to learn to listen, if the aids are not being used and the auditory pathways of the brain are not being stimulated then the child will eventually lose that ability. The quality of the signal in the hearing aids is directly related to the child’s speech intelligibility. A high quality auditory input provides a better opportunity for learning and better speech intelligibility. Full access is important for children who are learning

The purpose of this experiment is to determine the allele frequency of attached versus detached ear lobes in our society and distinguish if there is a recognizable difference between the two. This is a trait based on a single gene and is easily studied. Attached ear lobes connect directly to the side of the head, while detached ear lobes hang down below the point of attachment. One objective is to determine which earlobe is more dominant for our population.

Conductive hearing loss is from one or more deformity with the outer, inner, or middle ear which impacts sound from transferring to the nerves 5. Conductive hearing loss is often corrected with surgery, drugs, or hearing aids. Sensorineural hearing loss affects the cochlea, which transfers the sounds vibrations to the nerves 5. Although hearing aids are typically used for conductive hearing loss, a profoundly deaf sensorineural patient needs to complete a 6-month trial with them before they are considered ineffective and referred on for further testing for cochlear implant candidacy 5. Sensorineural hearing loss is primarily due to a malfunctioning cochlea so doctors run a hearing test to see how many decibels can be picked up by the cochlea. For pediatric patients to qualify for implants they need to be considered profoundly deaf in both ears. The tone threshold for mild hearing loss is between 21 and 40 dBHL (decibels Hearing Level) and profound hearing loss is greater than 90 dBHL 5. Typically, a pediatric patient looking for cochlear implants will go through a battery of speech-recognition testing while simultaneously undergoing the audiological

TEOAE and AABR are two methods used for hearing screenings; however, after being compared to TEOAE, AABR is considered the preferred method when screening newborns (Benito-Orejas, Ramírez, Morais, Almaraz, & Fernández-Calvo, 2008). Presence of TEOAEs implies integrity of transmission of sound through the outer and middle ear and functional integrity of the outer hair cells in the inner ear. Whereas, AABR looks at the functional integrity from the 8th nerve through the auditory brainstem, which permits detection of neural conduction disorders (e.g. ANSD). When using the TEOAE screening protocol a greater number of children are referred than when using AABR, in turn this indicates that TEOAEs are less specific and AABR is more sensitive, thus, the percent of newborns referred for diagnosis reduces when using AABR (Benito-Oregas et al., 2008). As previously stated, AABR is the preferred method for UNHS programs as it provides less false positives, subsequently reducing the number of newborns referred for additional testing. This lowers unnecessary intangible costs (transportation fees, time off during follow-up, and family anxiety) (Benito-Oregas et al., 2008). With a sensitive and specific test protocol, screenings are more effective leading to earlier

Program directors’ decision to only test frequencies at 1000, 2000, and 4000 Hz, while excluding 6000 Hz, will inevitably miss students with a hearing loss in higher frequencies. Assessing the efficacy of the hearing screening program led researchers to make recommendations for other universities to implement. Examples include, advocating the importance of follow-up to students to improve return rates, and having proper sound treatment to enhance screening results. Finally, adding 6000 Hz into the screening program may help to accurately identify students with early signs of high frequency hearing loss. In conclusion, the study was useful in acknowledging weaknesses such as assessing the low follow-up rates, noticing high levels of noise, and examining the impact on results when hearing screening programs choose to omit 6000 Hz. Recognizing the limitations of the hearing screening program allows for given recommendations to strengthen the efficacy of existing hearing screening

Henry, J. A., Zaugg, T. L., Myers, P. J., & Schechter, M. A. (2008a). The role of audiologic evaluation in progressive audiologic tinnitus management. Trends in Amplification, 12(3), 170-187. doi:10.1177

After year 5, they cash flow will pick up where it left off and increase even higher until they sell the company. The IRR will be around 429%. And the value created from the small investment will be just under $45 million in only a 7 year period.