2010-03-008
August 17, 2010
2010-03-008
Innovations for Electrophysiologic Assessment of Infant Hearing
Barbara Cone Wesson, PhD, University of Arizona
Project Summary:
The long-term goal of this research is to apply knowledge of auditory system development to the clinical challenge of assessing hearing abilities in infants and young children. The translational and immediate goal of this research proposal is to develop and implement cost-effective, sensitive and specific tools for infant auditory assessment that can be used by pediatric audiologists. The specific aims of this project are: 1) To develop and implement new stimulus, signal processing and response evaluation methods for obtaining frequency-specific estimates of hearing thresholds that can be used in non-sedated infants. 2) To compare the sensitivity, specificity and the time required to complete a test using the innovative methods developed for specific aim 1, to existing technologies including a) a new technology using adaptive "Kalman" filters and in-situ bioamplifiers that are purported to allow signal extraction in high levels of electromyographic and/or electroencephalic noise. This will be a test of the Vivosonic Integrity ABR system. b) Conventional tone burst stimuli and signal processing algorithms (linear filtering, amplitude-based artifact reject, signal averaging), such as those employed by the majority of instruments designed for infant ABR assessment. We will use 3 experiments to assess the innovations in technology (Vivosonic) stimulus (rising-frequency chirp) and response (40-Hz ASSR) We will: 1) Model the response and noise parameters in adults with normal hearing and also with hearing losses simulated by using band-passed noise maskers. Adults with known hearing losses will also be recruited for the study. 2) Test normally hearing infants aged 3, 6 and 9 months using each of the three methods (Vivosonic, rising-frequency chirp and 40-Hz ASSR). 3) Test infants (ages 0-12 months) referred for diagnostic assessment (following a failed newborn hearing screening) using each of the three methods.