Graeme Clark Collection
Permanent URI for this collection
Search Results
1 - 5 of 5
-
ItemFluctuating sensorineural hearing loss in children with Mondini malformation of the cochlea: implications for audiological management [Abstract]( 1994)Long term audiological data is presented for three children, who experienced fluctuating sensorineural hearing loss. Two children were preschool age and the third was in primary school at the time of fluctuation. All were subsequently diagnosed as having fistulas in association with Mondini malformation of the cochlea. These results serve to highlight the need for vigilance in monitoring hearing loss stability in young children when other external factors may limit the extent of information which can be obtained in any one appointment.
-
ItemIssues in long-term management of children with cochlear implants and tactile devices [Abstract]( 1994)For many children with severe and profound hearing losses, conventional hearing aids are unable to provide sufficient amplification to ensure good oral communication and/or in the case of very young children, development of speech and language. Traditionally a number of these children have opted for the use of sign language alone or in Total Communication approaches as a primary means of communication. The advent of multiple channel cochlear implants for children and the continuing development of multiple channel speech processing tactile devices provide auditory approaches to resolving communication difficulties for these children. The successful use of such devices depends on a number of factors including the information provided through the aid; the ease of use, convenience and reliability of the aid; the individual communication needs of the child; and the habilitation and management program used with the device. Long-term data has shown that children continue to show increased speech perception benefits from improvements in speech processing and from further experience with these devices. Habilitation and management programs must therefore be geared to meet the changing needs of children as they progress and of families as children mature and face new challenges. Habilitation must address specific individual needs in speech perception and in speech production. For very young children, benefits of improved speech perception should have an impact on the development of speech and language, and habilitation and management must emphasise the need for language growth.
-
ItemAccuracy of behavioural threshold prediction using steady-state evoked potentials [Abstract]( 1994)This paper examines the confidence with which predictions of hearing level can be made using the steady-state evoked potential (SSEP) technique. Steady-state evoked potentials are scalp potentials that can be elicited in response to sinusoidally amplitude and/or frequency modulated tones in sleeping or awake subjects. SSEP thresholds were obtained using frequency specific stimuli at octave frequencies between 250Hz and 4000Hz in 25 children and 35 adults with varying degrees of sensori-neural hearing loss. These levels, determined automatically by a computerised detection system, were then compared with thresholds obtained behaviourally. Linear regression analyses of this data have shown that the SSEP procedure allows objective estimates of hearing level to be made for a range of carrier frequencies to within 10dB accuracy on 96% of occasions.
-
ItemThe diagnostic assessment of infants using steady-state evoked potentials [Abstract]( 1994)This paper examines the relationship between the steady-state potential and behavioural thresholds obtained in two groups of young children. The first group consists of 10 babies referred to the Victorian Children's Hearing Centre following abnormal findings on screening ABR assessments. The second group contains 20 difficult to test infants who had unconfirmed hearing losses at the time of the SSEP assessment. The hearing levels predicted by the regression lines (described in the companion paper presented at this conference) were in close agreement with the behavioural levels obtained subsequently from children in both groups.
-
ItemCochlear implants in children: unlimited potential? [Abstract]( 1994)Multichannel cochlear implants have been in use for adolescents for 8 years and for children for 6 years. Due to the substantial benefits obtained by postlinguistically deafened adults using multichannel implants, there was a degree of optimism about the potential benefits for profoundly hearing impaired children using these devices. It was speculated that children may adapt more quickly and learn to use information from implants more effectively than adults. On the other hand, there were cautionary predictions that there may be a "critical age", particularly for congenitally or early deafened children, that, once passed, would preclude effective use of auditory information from implants. This age was variously predicted to be anywhere from 2 to 12 years, based on neurophysiological, developmental or psychological arguments. With some years of experience with implanted children, it can now be said that neither the optimistic nor the more cautionary "critical age" predictions have been supported. As with many areas of clinical science, the situation appears to be far more complex than first thought. This paper will discuss the results obtained for 100 children using the multichannel cochlear implant in Sydney and Melbourne in terms of predictive factors, and the potential for the future application of multichannel cochlear implants in children. The results suggest that experience with implant, the number of years of auditory deprivation, the amount of preoperative residual hearing, and the postoperative educational environment may have a significant effect on speech perceptual abilities in implanted children. In addition, approximately 60% of all implanted children show significant open-set speech perception ability with auditory input alone. It is now possible for multichannel cochlear implants to provide auditory skills sufficient for young children to develop functionally normal speech and language through audition, provided consistent, long term habilitation is available.