A Feasible Sound Field Measurement in ENT Clinics for Contralateral Routing of Signals Hearing Aids: A Pilot Study

Abstract

Background and Objectives The hearing in noise test (HINT) or sound localization test (SLT) is used as the standardized assessment for contralateral routing of signals (CROS) and bilateral microphones with contralateral routing of signals (BiCROS) hearing aids (HAs). However, implementing HINT or SLT can be challenging in most ENT clinics. In this study, we propose a new feasible method specifically designed for conducting a sound field hearing test for CROS and BiCROS HA users.Subjects and Method CROS/BiCROS HA users who visited Seoul St. Mary’s hospital between 2019 and 2021 were enrolled for the study. SLT was conducted in a sound-proof room equipped with two speakers positioned at a 45° angle from the patient on each side: noise stimuli were presented to the better ear the headphone patient was wearing while signals were presented to the worse ear via the speakers in the room. To validate the sound field test, a correlation analysis was conducted using the Bern benefit in single-sided deafness and the Korean version of the International Outcome Inventory for Hearing Aids (K-IOI-HA) Questionnaires.Results The aided speech discrimination score was significantly higher in the signal 60 dB HL/masking 50 dB HL condition than 50 dB HL/masking 50 dB HL condition (<i>p</i><0.05). A significant correlation was found between the gain of sound field speech audiometry and the K-IOI-HA questionnaire (<i>p</i><0.05).Conclusion Our novel sound field hearing test for CROS/BiCROS HA users, which presents appropriate noise stimuli via headphones to the better ear, appears to be a feasible approach for CROS/BiCROS HA users.