Impact of COVID-19 on hearing aid users

Gish Chacko,Udit Saxena,S B Rathna Kumar,Suresh Medisala 한국언어재활사협회 2021 Clinical Archives of Communication Disorders Vol.6 No.2

Purpose: An unexpected pandemic ‘COVID-19’ has arisen in the world which affected many lives either directly and/or indirectly. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an acute respiratory illness caused by the newly identified β-coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 virus. Methods:COVID-19 has proven challenging to the public health system. Taking into account thehearing healthcare, an internet based survey was conducted to understand the effect COVID-19 has on the usage of hearing aid among its users during the pandemic and conditions such as lockdowns arise due to it. This study was carried out by the Department of Audiology, MAA Institute of Speech and Hearing, India, during the period of June-August 2020. The questionnaire consisted of 13 questions, developed and presented via “Google forms”. The questions in the questionnaire was based on the presumptive but common problems faced by the hearing aid users. The nature of the questions was specifically focused on the effect that pandemic and the resultant lockdowns have on the hearing aid usage. The survey was self-administered and the time taken would be 5–10 minutes. The respondents were asked to answer the survey with the best of their experience. Results: Overall, survey results showed that respondents faced variety of problems with their hearing aid usage during the pandemic and conditions arose due to it. Conclusions: COVID-19 has negatively affected the lives of many people with hearing loss in variety of ways. Further research is needed to provide effective solutions and make global strategies to tackle hearing aid usage related problems in these.

Effect of COVID-19 on cochlear implant users: parental perspectives

Udit Saxena,Gish Chacko,S B Rathna Kumar,Vikas Nagabathula,Venkata Damarla 한국언어재활사협회 2021 Clinical Archives of Communication Disorders Vol.6 No.1

Purpose: For ten months the world has witnessed a global pandemic “COVID-19”, which disturbed many lives either directly and/or indirectly. COVID-19 has proven challenging to the public health system and considering the hearing healthcare, an internet-based survey was conducted on how COVID-19 affected the services to Cochlear Implant users and which consecutively affected their communication needs. Methods: The study was carried out during the period of June–August 2020. The questionnaire consisted of 38 questions, developed and presented via “Google forms”. The questions were based on the common problems faced by the Cochlear Implant users. The nature of the questions was generally focused on how COVID-19 affected their child’s communication due to limited services. The questionnaire was self-administered and the time taken would be 10–15 minutes. The parents of the Cochlear Implanted children were asked to answer the survey with the best of their experience. Results: The overall survey results showed that majority of the respondents observed a variety of problems related to the usage, management and maintenance of Cochlear Implant during this COVID-19 pandemic condition. Conclusions: This report suggests that hearing health care requires a radical rethinking of service delivery and create the momentum to rapidly formulate innovative digital and tele-health approaches in response to these changing situations.

Systematic review of the effectiveness of homoeopathy in the treatment of autism spectrum disorder

Vibha Saxena,Gish Chacko,Udit Saxena 한국언어재활사협회 2021 Clinical Archives of Communication Disorders Vol.6 No.1

Purpose: Over the years there is a significant increase in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), yet there is no standard medical treatment available for this population. Homoeopathy as reported in literature can prove to be a boon for ASD treatment as in homoeopathy patients are prescribed medicine based on specific symptoms in light of associated physical and mental aspect. A systematic review of literature was required to put together the reported information on the relation between homoeopathy and ASD. This work reviews all the related literature in-depth. Methods: Literature on the concerned issue was searched from databases like Scopus, PubMed, ScienceDirect, JASTOR, Google Scholar, PsycINFO (psychology and psychiatry literature), and ERIC (Education Resources Information Center). Results: In total, 19 published articles were found on the investigation of using homoeopathy in the treatment of ASD. Seventeen studies showed that homoeopathy can be effective in the treatment of ASD. Result of 1 study was inconclusive and 1 more study found homoeopathy to be not suitable in treating ASD. Conclusions: Most reports support the use of homoeopathy in the treatment of ASD. They describe that homoeopathy efficiently control ASD symptoms and also supplements other therapies used in the treatment of ASD. Few authors suggested otherwise too.

Central Auditory Processing Deficit in Children Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Anagha Achath Parakkandy,Gish Chacko,Sandhra Sakariyas,Jiji Mathew,Ramya Sri Madriki,Sirisha Karnam 한국언어재활사협회 2024 Clinical Archives of Communication Disorders Vol.9 No.1

Purpose: The study aims to check the presence of auditory processing deficit in children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Methods: A total of 10 subjects within the age range of 6-10 years diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder were recruited for the study. Buffalo model questionnaire (child form) for CAPD was given to the parents of the children with autism and scores were noted. Auditory cognition which is a sub category of auditory processing was assessed for each subject with the help of Angel sound software version 5.08.03 by Emily Shannon Fu Foundation. For-ward digit test was done and the auditory memory of the participant was checked. The result obtained from the subjective perception of parents and objective evaluation was compared and the correlation was checked. Results: The questionnaire given to the parents had different subsections and questions in-cluded in the category of memory revealed poor scores. Similarly, the scores obtained for forward digit test was reduced for the children diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorder when compared to the normative given by the software. The children were able to memorize maximum of only 3 digits. Conclusions: It can be concluded that there is a relation between and subjective perception of parents of children with autism and objective evaluation of auditory processing. In our study, the scores for auditory cognition test are reduced for children with autism. Autistic people with auditory processing disorders can hear, but they have difficulty understanding what they hear. Auditory processing disorder is a crucial pathology of the autistic disorder.

Adverse Effects of Extended high frequency Hearing Impairment on Digit in Noise Perception

Anagha Achath Parakkandy,Gish Chacko,Sandhra Sakariyas,Sravanthi Swarna,Mohammed Anas 한국언어재활사협회 2024 Clinical Archives of Communication Disorders Vol.9 No.1

Purpose: The present study aims at comparing the adverse effects of EHF hearing loss with Digit In Noise perception, between two age groups-Young adults and Early adulthood. Methods: A total of 30 participants aged between 18 to 25 years as Young adults group and 26 to 35 years as early adulthood group were included in the study. All the participants were having EHF hearing loss with normal conventional audiogram. Digit in Noise test was carried out for these subjects. Digit in Noise recognition threshold was considered here. Results: When compared to young adults group, the early adulthood population exhibited poorer thresholds at EHFs as well as 95% of the participants in this group showed poor scores in DIN test. Among the young adults group, 46.6% showed poor DIN scores. Conclusions: Poor DIN recognition thresholds along with EHF loss despite normal conven-tional audiogram results necessitate the inclusion of EHF audiometry and Speech in noise test as part of the routine audiological evaluations. This helps in early detection, monitoring and prevention of hearing loss even during the third decade of human life.

Hidden Hearing Loss–Subjective and Objective Correlation of Cochlear Physiology

Anagha Achath Parakkandy,Udit Saxena,Gish Chacko,Sandhra Sakariyas,Architha Reddy Nimma,Rachel James 한국언어재활사협회 2024 Clinical Archives of Communication Disorders Vol.9 No.1

Purpose: The study is aimed at identifying the co-relation of subjective and objective tests’ that reveal the site of lesion in Hidden Hearing Loss. Methods: A total of 40 participants, between the age range 18 to 25 years were included in this study. They were categorized into two groups. Group 1 – Subjects with extended high frequency (EHF) loss but normal thresholds at conventional frequencies. Group 2 with normal EHF and conventional audiogram results. EHF testing was performed at 10 kHz, 12.5 kHz, 14 kHz, and 16 kHz. Click evoked Auditory Brainstem Response was done to elicit Cochlear Microphonics (CM) and Peak I. Results: Participants with normal EHF thresholds exhibited presence of Peak I and CM, whereas absence of Peak 1 and CM at 70 dB HL and below was seen in the group 1 partici-pants. Results revealed no significant relationship between both groups. Conclusions: The outcome of this study defines the physiology behind Hidden Hearing Loss as the insult to cochlear structures especially OHC’s. This led to a conclusion that there is a strong alliance between EHF loss, absence of CM and Peak I resulting in Auditory dys-syn-chrony in the far basal regions of the cochlea. This reveals an astonishing impact that alarms young adult population to prevent further incidence at the earliest.