Publicaties
A language-independent hearing screening self-test at school-entry KU Leuven
The usage of a tablet-based language-independent self-test involving the recognition of ecological sounds in background noise, the Sound Ear Check, was investigated. The results of 692 children, aged between 5 and 9 years and 4 months, recruited in seven different countries, were used to analyze the validity and the cultural independence of test. Three different test procedures, namely a monaural adaptive procedure, a procedure presenting the ...
Speech perception in noise, working memory, and attention in children: A scoping review KU Leuven
PURPOSE: Speech perception in noise is an everyday occurrence for adults and children alike. The factors that influence how well individuals cope with noise during spoken communication are not well understood, particularly in the case of children. This article aims to review the available evidence on how working memory and attention play a role in children's speech perception in noise, how characteristics of measures affect results, and how this ...
Toward a Listening Training Paradigm: Evaluation in Normal-Hearing Young and Middle-Aged Adults. KU Leuven
OBJECTIVES: Adults' most common complaint relates to understanding speech in noisy environments. Hearing aids can compensate for sensory loss but do not restore hearing to normal. Listening training has the potential to partially remediate these problems. In this study, we propose and evaluate a Flemish version of a listening training paradigm, which involves the use of cognitive control as well as auditory perception. The paradigm entails a ...
Lilliput: speech perception in speech-weighted noise and in quiet in young children KU Leuven
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to develop an open-set word recognition task in speech-weighted noise and in quiet for young children and examine age effects for open versus closed response formats. DESIGN: Dutch monosyllabic words were presented in quiet and in stationary speech-weighted noise to 4- and 5-year-old children as well as to young adults in an open-set response format. Additionally, performance in open and closed context was ...
Measures of Speech Understanding in Noise for Young Children with a Cochlear Implant in Mainstream and Special Education KU Leuven
The use of two types of speech-in-noise (SPIN) assessment, namely digits-in-noise self-tests and open-set, monosyllabic word tests, to assess the SPIN understanding performance of children with cochlear implants (CI) in mainstream and special education, was investigated. The tests' feasibility and reliability and the influence of specific cognitive abilities on their results were studied. The results of 30 children with CIs in mainstream and ...
Comparing the Outcomes of a Personalized Versus Nonpersonalized Home-Based Auditory Training Program for Cochlear Implant Users KU Leuven
OBJECTIVES: Audiological rehabilitation includes sensory management, auditory training (AT), and counseling and can alleviate the negative consequences associated with (untreated) hearing impairment. AT aims at improving auditory skills through structured analytical (bottom-up) or synthetic (top-down) listening exercises. The evidence for AT to improve auditory outcomes of postlingually deafened adults with a cochlear implant (CI) remains a ...
Effectiveness of Auditory Training in Experienced Hearing-Aid Users, and an Exploration of Their Health-Related Quality of Life and Coping Strategies KU Leuven
Hearing aids (HA) are a fundamental component in restoring auditory function; however, they cannot completely alleviate all problems encountered by adults with hearing impairment. The aim of this study is twofold. Firstly, we assess the health-related quality of life and coping strategies of experienced HA users. Secondly, we assess whether HA users can benefit from auditory training. To this end, 40 participants who had worn HAs for more than 6 ...
Coupling of sensorimotor and cognitive functions in middle- and late adulthood KU Leuven
INTRODUCTION: The present study explored age effects and the coupling of sensorimotor and cognitive functions in a stratified sample of 96 middle-aged and older adults (age 45-86 years) with no indication of mild cognitive decline. In our sensorimotor tasks, we had an emphasis on listening in noise and postural control, but we also assessed functional mobility and tactile sensitivity. METHODS: Our cognitive measures comprised processing speed ...
Language-Independent Hearing Screening - Increasing the Feasibility of a Hearing Screening Self-Test at School-Entry KU Leuven
A tablet-based language-independent self-test involving the recognition of ecological sounds in background noise, the Sound Ear Check (SEC), was adapted to make it feasible for young children. Two experiments were conducted. The first experiment investigated the SEC's feasibility, as well as its sensitivity and specificity for detecting childhood hearing loss with a monaural adaptive test procedure. In the second experiment, the SEC sounds, ...