A comparison between CROS hearing aids and bone-anchored hearing aids for patients with single-sided deafness: a listening effort-based pilot study

Authors

  • Olivier Valentin <p>1- Laboratory for Brain, Music and Sound Research (BRAMS), Montreal, Quebec, Canada<br /><br />2- Centre for Research on Brain, Language or Music (CRBLM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada<br /><br />3- Centre for interdisciplinary research in music media and t
  • François Prévost <p>1- Laboratory for Brain, Music and Sound Research (BRAMS), Montreal, Quebec, Canada</p>2- Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
  • Don Nguyen <p>1- Laboratory for Brain, Music and Sound Research (BRAMS), Montreal, Quebec, Canada<br /><br />2- Centre for Research on Brain, Language or Music (CRBLM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada</p>3- Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC
  • Alexandre Lehmann <p>1- Laboratory for Brain, Music and Sound Research (BRAMS), Montreal, Quebec, Canada<br /><br />2- Centre for Research on Brain, Language or Music (CRBLM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada<br /><br />3- Centre for interdisciplinary research in music media and t

Abstract

Single-sided deafness (SSD) is characterized by the near or total loss of hearing in one ear with normal hearing in the contralateral ear and it gives rise to a functional listening handicap. By causing an acoustic head shadow in the auditory hemifield ipsilateral to the impaired ear, SSD impairs speech-in-noise recognition and sound localization, in addition to a diminished awareness of sounds in the shadowed auditory hemifield. The dominant therapeutic approach to improve processing of sounds coming from this auditory hemifield consists in rerouting acoustic signals to the contralateral non-impaired ear. This can be achieved, for instance, through either air conduction (e.g., contralateral-routing-of-signal – CROS – hearing aids) or bone conduction (e.g., bone-anchored – BA – hearing aids) approaches.

The perceived benefits reported by SSD patients when using BA and CROS hearing aids are difficult to document using clinical measures. Consequently, it is still unclear which device produces the best results, yielding an unresolved dilemma in the clinical management of SSD. This has led to a long-standing controversy regarding the best choice of device, which stems in part from the lack of an objective assessment of the subjectively reported reduction in listening effort, and also from the fact that the funding modalities tend to differ for each device.

This research project aims to solve this long-standing controversy by investigating which device produces the best hearing outcomes for SSD patients by using behavioral (NASA Task Load Index) and pupillometric measurements to evaluate which type of hearing aid requires the least cognitive effort when SSD patients perform speech-in-noise recognition tasks. Results from this research project has the potential to constitute the first objective evidence to orient the management of SSD to maximize patients’ benefit and provide evidence-based justification of funding policies.

Author Biographies

Olivier Valentin, <p>1- Laboratory for Brain, Music and Sound Research (BRAMS), Montreal, Quebec, Canada<br /><br />2- Centre for Research on Brain, Language or Music (CRBLM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada<br /><br />3- Centre for interdisciplinary research in music media and t

Olivier Valentin received a Bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering from Université Claude Bernard Lyon I (France) in 2007, a Master’s degree in biomedical engineering from École Polytech Lyon (France) in 2010, a Ph.D. Doctorate in engineering from École de technologie supérieure (Canada) in 2016 and two Specialized Post-Graduate Diploma (D.E.S.S.) from Université de Sherbrooke in 2020 and 2021. In 2016, Olivier joined the Canada-based NSERC-EERS Industrial Research Chair in In-Ear Technologies (CRITIAS) as a postdoctoral researcher to develop a wireless EEG-based BCI system able to both tolerate natural movement and record brain signals. Following this first postdoctoral research collaboration, Olivier joined the Groupe d’Acoustique de l’Université de Sherbrooke (GAUS) in October 2018 where he brought his large expertise in hearing, data analysis, psycho-acoustics, sound quality models, and research ethics, across two research projects. The first project was a large, multi-institutional and international research project on the comfort of hearing protectors in the workplace, and the second one was a collaborative project related to the sound quality of recreational vehicles. Since April 2021, Olivier is working as a Research Associate at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre. His research interests include biomedical engineering, acoustics, hearing sciences, electrophysiology, brain computer interfaces and AI.

François Prévost, <p>1- Laboratory for Brain, Music and Sound Research (BRAMS), Montreal, Quebec, Canada</p>2- Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Dr. Prévost completed a Ph.D. in neuropsychology at Université de Montréal and a clinical degree in audiology at University of Ottawa. He is now an audiologist at the McGill University Health Centre, with growing expertise in diagnostic electrophysiology, implantable hearing devices, hearing aids and tinnitus management. He occasionally teaches clinical audiology abroad, while more regularly he runs seminar classes at the École d’orthophonie et d’audiologie de l’Université de Montréal.His research focuses on the neurophysiological correlates of speech-in-noise perception. With this angle, he investigates brain plasticity and listening effort in patients who use hearing aids, cochlear implants and bone conduction implants. His research tools include cortical evoked potentials, auditory brainstem responses, intra-cranial recordings and pupillometry.

Don Nguyen, <p>1- Laboratory for Brain, Music and Sound Research (BRAMS), Montreal, Quebec, Canada<br /><br />2- Centre for Research on Brain, Language or Music (CRBLM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada</p>3- Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC

Don completed a clinical degree in audiology at the University of Ottawa. Currently, he is pursuing doctoral studies under the supervision of Dr. Lehmann. He is interested in clinical applications of functional near-infrared spectroscopy for cochlear implant patients. Other areas of interest are hearing loss, brain plasticity and listening effort.

Alexandre Lehmann, <p>1- Laboratory for Brain, Music and Sound Research (BRAMS), Montreal, Quebec, Canada<br /><br />2- Centre for Research on Brain, Language or Music (CRBLM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada<br /><br />3- Centre for interdisciplinary research in music media and t

Faculty, Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music (CRBLM) Full member, International Laboratory for Brain, Music, and Sound Research (BRAMS) Dr. Alexandre Lehmann is a cognitive neuroscientist, Assistant Professor at McGill University, Adjunct Professor at Université de Montréal, and Principal Investigator at the Centre for Research on Brain Language and Music (CRBLM).  Using neuro-imaging and virtual reality, he has been investigating brain plasticity and sensorimotor integration of audition. As a principal investigator of McGill’s Cochlear Implant Research Program, he and his team use advanced neuro-behavioural paradigms to investigate hearing cognition and outcomes in cochlear implant users, in order to characterize, model and remediate current deficits faced by patients. Dr. Lehmann conducted his cognitive neuroscience doctoral work at College de France and Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics (Germany).  He pursued his post-doctoral fellowship at the International Laboratory for Brain, Music and Sound Research (BRAMS) and at Montreal’s Geriatric Institute (CRIUGM).  He worked as a visiting researcher and invited professor at the UAEM (Mexico).  Currently Assistant Professor at McGill University’s Otolaryngology Department and Adjunct Professor at University of Montreal’s Psychology Department, he is a principal member of BRAMS-CRBLM where he leads a research team.

Additional Files

Published

2022-07-05

How to Cite

1.
Valentin O, Prévost F, Nguyen D, Lehmann A. A comparison between CROS hearing aids and bone-anchored hearing aids for patients with single-sided deafness: a listening effort-based pilot study. Canadian Acoustics [Internet]. 2022 Jul. 5 [cited 2024 Dec. 3];50(3):92-3. Available from: https://jcaa.caa-aca.ca/index.php/jcaa/article/view/3854

Issue

Vol. 50 No. 3 (2022)

Section

Proceedings of the Acoustics Week in Canada

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