Mi smatch Negativity (MMN) is used to evaluate the central auditory system. Aim: to characterize the MMN, in normal subjects. Materials and methods: prospective study, 12 subjects, six males and six females, between the ages of 18 and 24. "Mann-Whytnei" test. Exams: Pure Tone Audiometry (PTA), Tympanometry, Otoacoustic Emissions and Short and Long Latency Auditory Potentials (MMN). Results: in MMN variable amplitude, the mean value was of -2.757 µV and -3.548 µV, CZA1 and CZA2; of 1.435 µV and -1.867 µV, CZA1 and CZA2. In variable and medium latency, we found in 150.7ms and 153.2ms, CZA1 and CZA2; in 170.4ms and 184.0ms, CZA1 and CZA2 -for females and males respectively. Conclusion: related to latency, there was significant statistical difference between the genders in relation to CZA1 and CZA2; and it was lower for females and higher for males.

OBJETIVO: avaliar a satisfação do usuário de AAS (Aparelho de Amplificação Sonora) por meio da aplicação do questionário de autoavaliação IOI-HA (International Outcome Inventory For Hearing Aids) e correlacioná-lo às características dos indivíduos, da perda auditiva e do processo de adaptação do AAS. MÉTODO: foram avaliados 98 indivíduos, de ambos os gêneros, com perda auditiva neurossensorial, de um serviço público e usuários sistemáticos de AAS há, pelo menos, três meses. O questionário IOI-HA foi aplicado, como roteiro de entrevista estruturada, aos indivíduos. Correlacionaram-se as variáveis estudadas com o nível de satisfação do usuário, analisado pelo IOI-HA, por meio do fator 1 (que reflete a interação do indivíduo com seu AAS), o fator 2 (relacionado à interação do indivíduo com outras pessoas no seu ambiente) e a pontuação total de cada indivíduo. RESULTADOS: não houve correlação significante entre as variáveis estudadas e o nível de satisfação do usuário. Entretanto, é importante ressaltar que as médias obtidas nas análises, por item, foram positivas e, consequentemente, as análises da soma total do IOI-HA, fator 1 e fator 2, também foram positivas e se aproximaram dos escores máximos para cada fator. CONCLUSÃO: o presente estudo constatou que, no grupo estudado, os usuários de AAS estavam satisfeitos com a adaptação de seus aparelhos e não foram observadas correlações entre as variáveis estudadas e o grau de satisfação do usuário de AAS, por meio do questionário IOI-HA.

Introduction Hearing difficulties can be minimized by the use of hearing aids. Objective The objective of this study is to assess the speech perception and satisfaction of hearing aids users before and after aid adaptation and to determine whether these measures are correlated. Methods The study was conducted on 65 individuals, 54% females and 46% males aged 63 years on average, after the systematic use of hearing aids for at least three months. We characterized subjectś personal identification data, the degree, and configuration of hearing loss, as well as aspects related to adaptation. We then applied a satisfaction questionnaire and a speech perception test (words and sentences), with and without the use of the hearing aids. Results Mean speech recognition with words and sentences was 69% and 79%, respectively, with hearing aids use; whereas, without hearing aids use the figures were 43% and 53%. Mean questionnaire score was 30.1 points. Regarding hearing loss characteristics, 78.5% of the subjects had a sensorineural loss, 20% a mixed loss, and 1.5% a conductive loss. Hearing loss of moderate degree was present in 60.5% of cases, loss of descending configuration in 47%, and plain loss in 37.5%. There was no correlation between individual satisfaction and the percentages of the speech perception tests applied. Conclusion Word and sentence recognition was significantly better with the use of the hearing aids. The users showed a high degree of satisfaction. In the present study, there was no correlation observed between the levels of speech perception and levels of user satisfaction measured with the questionnaire.

P300 can be recorded in individuals with severe and profound congenital sensorineural hearing loss; it may contribute to the understanding of cortical development and is a good predictor of the early intervention outcome.

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Purpose: to develop and validate the content of printed educative material (booklet) on the typical oral language development. Methods: methodological development research with content validation. The material was produced following a literature review, in which the available publications approaching this theme were analyzed. The descriptors used were “child language”, “child development”, “language development”, and “language development disorders”. A total of 37 judges (specialists in the field and target audience) participated, divided into groups: speech-language-hearing therapists (LJG), educators (EJG), and relatives (RJG). They answered a 5-point Likert-scale instrument. The absolute percentage agreement (APA) and content validity index (CVI) were applied, whose respective minimum values of 75% and 0.78 were adopted. Results: the booklet encompassed the aspects of phonology, semantics, syntax, narrative and hearing, citing what is expected for each age. At the end of each topic, suggestions on how to stimulate the child’s language were made. The mean VCI scores were: LJG=81.3%, EJG=93.51%, and RJG=89.4%. Conclusion: the booklet reached a high content and design validity index and will aid health education initiatives, allowing its content to be spread among families and professionals involved in child development.

Background: behavioral and electrophysiological evaluations contribute to the understanding of the hearing system and to the intervention process. Aim: to investigate the occurrence of P300 in subjects with congenital severe to profound hearing loss, according to the variables of gender, age and hearing loss level. Method: the design of this research is a descriptive transversal study. Twenty-nine subjects, 15 male and 14 female, ranging in age from 11 to 42 years, were evaluated. Inclusion criteria were: to have at least 11 years of age and no more than 45 years; to have the diagnosis of congenital severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss; to have no other disorder; and absence of central hearing loss or any other auditory conductive disorder. The first stage consisted of an auditory behavioral and physiological evaluation, including: pure tone audiometry (air and bone conduction measures), speech audiometry, SDT (Speech Detection Threshold) and functional gain measures for the subjects using hearing aids, and immittance measures -tympanometry and acoustic reflexes thresholds; transient evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAE); distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE). The electrophysiological evaluation was the fourth stage of the study and included: auditory brainstem response (ABR) and late latency response (P300). Results: P300 was obtained for 17 out of the 29 subjects. Mean latency and amplitude were 326.97 ms and 3.76 V, respectively. A statistical significant difference was observed for latency when considering the variable age (electrode CzA2 p < 0.003 and CzA1 p < 0.02) and for amplitude when considering the variable hearing loss level (p < 0.0015). Conclusion: P300 can be recorded in subjects with hearing loss.

related to latency, there was significant statistical difference between the genders in relation to CZA1 and CZA2; and it was lower for females and higher for males.