Graeme Clark Collection
Permanent URI for this collection
Search Results
1 - 5 of 5
-
ItemThe University of Melbourne Department of Otolaryngology( 1995)The University of Melbourne Department of Otolaryngology runs a general ENT Clinic as well as a Cochlear Implant Clinic. It forms the core of a Multicentre research group for deafness research, is heavily involved in teaching and education, and includes a School of Audiology. This article presents an overview of the activities of the Department.
-
ItemResearch in auditory training(Academy of Rehabilitative Audiology, 1994)Speech perception and communication can improve as a result of experience, and auditory training is one way of providing experiences that may be beneficial. One of the most important factors influencing the effectiveness of auditory training is the amount of experience the client already has. Other factors include the severity of the hearing loss, the sensory device used, the environment, personal qualities of the client and clinician, the type of training, and the type of evaluation used. Despite a long history of clinical practice, the effects of these factors have been investigated in few controlled studies. Even in special cases where training has an obvious role, such as adults using cochlear implants, there has been little objective comparison of alternative training methods. One reason for this is the difficulty of carrying out definitive experiments that measure changes in performance over time in the presence of many confounding variables. These variables may also help to explain the apparently contradictory results that can be found in the literature on auditory training and in the diverse points of view expressed by practicing clinicians. Issues and methods appropriate for research in auditory training among adult clients are discussed with reference to the needs of modem clinical practice.
-
ItemPreoperative residual hearing as a predictor of postoperative speech scores for adult cochlear implant users [Abstract]( 1994)The development of multiple channel cochlear implants has been a significant advance in the rehabilitation of profound hearing loss. Speech perception benefits have been particularly evident for postlinguistically deafened adults, who as a group have shown not only supplementation of lipreading scores but also significant comprehension of words and sentences using an implant alone, without the aid of lipreading. In many cases, patients are able to use their implant for telephone conversation. Speech perception benefits for adult users have increased with advances in speech processing and improved means of habilitation. These improvements in open-set speech benefits for adult users have resulted in a steady increase in group mean scores and a reevaluation of selection criteria for cochlear implantation. In the initial development of cochlear implants, only those with little or no residual hearing were considered as candidates. Current selection criteria now include those with substantial residual hearing, who may score up to 40% in the best-aided condition on word and sentence speech perception tests. In order to provide realistic expectations for prospective cochlear implant patients, it is important to establish the relationship of many preimplant factors to postimplant speech perception benefits. For severely hearing impaired adults, the relationship between preoperative residual hearing, as measured by aided word and sentence speech perception test scores, and postoperative speech perception benefits is of significant interest. Analysis of data collected over a 15 year period for adult patients is presented. The rationale for conducting full speech perception assessments for all potential cochlear implant patients is stressed.
-
ItemEvaluation of training strategies with an electrotactile speech processor [Abstract]( 1988)During 1986, seven normally-hearing subjects were trained in the use of an electrotactile speech processor ("Tickle Talker"). Two training methods were used: (a) a combined strategy. in which a variety of training materials ranging from analytic to synthetic level were employed; and (b) a synthetic alone training strategy, in which only synthetic level training materials were used. All seven subjects received 70 hours of training, 35 hours in each training strategy. Subjects were evaluated in the tactile-lipreading (TL) and lipreading alone (L) conditions at: (I) 0 hours training; (2) 35 hours training; and (3) after 70 hours of training. An evaluation test battery was constructed which contained both closed-set and open-set materials. Results indicated differences in performance on the evaluation tests which were dependent upon the training strategy. The differences in performance were greater in some evaluation tests than others. Subsequently; seven severe-profoundly hearing-impaired children (aged 7-11) have been fitted with the Tickle Talker and are presently participating in an ongoing training programme. Evaluation of their performance will help to assess the suitability of the device for young children.
-
ItemResults for the Nucleus multiple-electrode cochlear implant in two children [Abstract]( 1988)Two males, 9 years 10 months (CHILD 1) and 5 years 5 months (CHILD 2) at time of surgery, were implanted with the Nucleus multiple-electrode cochlear implant. Both patients were deafened as a result of meningitis in their third year. Assessments of speech perception, speech production and language skills were undertaken at regular intervals, pre and post operatively. For both patients in the audition alone condition, some speech perception post operative scores were significantly higher than pre operative scores and progressive improvements in scores over successive post operative data collection times were seen. Significant differences between the visual alone and auditory-visual condition scores were also observed for CHILD 1 post operatively. Speech production post operative scores were significantly higher than pre operative scores for both patients. The receptive vocabulary scores for both patients improved at a higher rate than that of age-matched normal children. The acquisition of expressive and receptive language skills for CHILD 2 was at a higher rate than that of age-matched children. Differences in the results between the two patients were seen, and this may be related to age and duration of deafness.