Abstract:Background: Pediatric hearing instrument fitting is optimally performed with individually obtained realear-to-coupler difference (RECD) measurements. If these measurements cannot be obtained, predictedvalues based on age are used. Recent evidence obtained from children aged 3–11 years suggests thathead circumference (HC) may be a viable alternative or addition to age for use in RECD prediction.Purpose: The purpose of the present study was to determine if HC can be used to predict RECDs ininfants, children, and… Show more
“…This could be due to differences in the volume of the ear canals of DHH children from Eastern and Western countries. As previous studies have suggested, individual variations in RECDs can range from ±5.6 dB at 500 Hz to ±10.9 dB at 6000 Hz compared to reference values, and these variations may be influenced by factors such as head circumference and ear canal growth [18,20,21]. In the present study, we observed higher measured RECDs at low frequencies and smaller measured RECDs at high frequencies compared to the reference values, which could be attributed to differences in the ear canal geometry of DHH children from Eastern and Western countries.…”
Measurement of real-ear-to-coupler differentials (RECDs) is a critical part of the hearing aid (HA) verification process. This study examines the validity of reference RECD values preset by the HA analyzer, Audioscan RM500, for deaf-and-hard-of-hearing (DHH) children in Taiwan. RECD measurements were performed on 658 ears of DHH children. A linear mixed model was used to analyze the reference and measured RECD values. The findings revealed slight disparities between normative RECD values from North America and those observed in Taiwanese DHH children. While generally small (less than 5 dB), these differences imply potential challenges in achieving optimal HA fitting in specific scenarios. Therefore, we recommend individualized RECD/REM measurements for cases of poor auditory performance, certain frequency ranges, or notable variations in ear canal volume. From a clinical perspective, while broadly applicable, the use of North American RECD normative data in Taiwan requires cautious consideration of potential minor variations. This study contributes to current knowledge by affirming the use of a Western RECD database for Taiwanese DHH children. However, we underscore the ongoing importance of individualized HA fitting strategies, particularly for cases with stagnant intervention progress. While built-in RECD reference values can offer preliminary fitting guidance, especially in busy clinical settings, our study sheds light on the circumstances where caution is essential. Audiologists can efficiently allocate their time and effort by focusing on personalized RECD measurements for cases exhibiting suboptimal intervention outcomes, thereby effectively optimizing HA gain settings.
“…This could be due to differences in the volume of the ear canals of DHH children from Eastern and Western countries. As previous studies have suggested, individual variations in RECDs can range from ±5.6 dB at 500 Hz to ±10.9 dB at 6000 Hz compared to reference values, and these variations may be influenced by factors such as head circumference and ear canal growth [18,20,21]. In the present study, we observed higher measured RECDs at low frequencies and smaller measured RECDs at high frequencies compared to the reference values, which could be attributed to differences in the ear canal geometry of DHH children from Eastern and Western countries.…”
Measurement of real-ear-to-coupler differentials (RECDs) is a critical part of the hearing aid (HA) verification process. This study examines the validity of reference RECD values preset by the HA analyzer, Audioscan RM500, for deaf-and-hard-of-hearing (DHH) children in Taiwan. RECD measurements were performed on 658 ears of DHH children. A linear mixed model was used to analyze the reference and measured RECD values. The findings revealed slight disparities between normative RECD values from North America and those observed in Taiwanese DHH children. While generally small (less than 5 dB), these differences imply potential challenges in achieving optimal HA fitting in specific scenarios. Therefore, we recommend individualized RECD/REM measurements for cases of poor auditory performance, certain frequency ranges, or notable variations in ear canal volume. From a clinical perspective, while broadly applicable, the use of North American RECD normative data in Taiwan requires cautious consideration of potential minor variations. This study contributes to current knowledge by affirming the use of a Western RECD database for Taiwanese DHH children. However, we underscore the ongoing importance of individualized HA fitting strategies, particularly for cases with stagnant intervention progress. While built-in RECD reference values can offer preliminary fitting guidance, especially in busy clinical settings, our study sheds light on the circumstances where caution is essential. Audiologists can efficiently allocate their time and effort by focusing on personalized RECD measurements for cases exhibiting suboptimal intervention outcomes, thereby effectively optimizing HA gain settings.
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