This scoping review examined studies on auditory training in noise for children with auditory processing disorder (APD). The aim was to analyze the characteristics of training interventions, task types, outcome measures, and reported effects, while identifying methodological trends and limitations in the literature. A systematic search was conducted to identify studies involving speechin- noise training in children diagnosed with APD and 10 studies met the inclusion criteria. Data were extracted on participant characteristics, training methods, task types, training intensity and duration, outcome measures, effects, and reported limitations. Most studies used computer-based auditory training, while one employed traditional face-to-face intervention. Training tasks mainly targeted selective attention to target speech and speech perception in noisy environments, often incorporating adaptive difficulty and audiovisual cues. Outcomes were primarily measured using behavioral speech-in-noise tests, with some studies also including electrophysiological measures and subjective reports from parents or teachers. Most studies reported statistically significant improvements in speech-in-noise perception after training. However, the magnitude, consistency, and persistence of these effects varied. Only three studies examined retention effects and long-term maintenance was limited in some areas. Common limitations included small sample sizes, heterogeneity in diagnostic criteria and training protocols, and insufficient long-term follow-up. Overall, auditory training in noise appears to have positive effects on speech perception in children with APD. However, methodological variability across studies warrants cautious interpretation. Future research should focus on standardized diagnostic frameworks, systematic training protocols, and long-term follow-up to support evidence-based clinical guidelines.
Background and Objectives Patient-reported outcome measures are essential for evaluating real-world hearing performance in cochlear implant (CI) users. This study aimed to develop the Korean version of the 12-item Speech, Spatial and Qualities of Hearing Scale (K-SSQ12) and to evaluate its reliability and validity in Korean-speaking adult CI users.Subjects and Method The original English version of the SSQ12 was translated into Korean using standardized forward–backward translation procedures, followed by cultural adaptation, linguistic validation, and assessment of content validity. For psychometric evaluation, 56 adult CI users completed the K-SSQ12 twice, with a 2-week interval. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach’s α, test–retest reliability was evaluated using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs), and concurrent validity was examined by assessing correlations between K-SSQ12 scores and those of the Nijmegen Cochlear Implant Questionnaire administered concurrently.Results The K-SSQ12 demonstrated excellent internal consistency (Cronbach’s α=0.93) and high test–retest reliability (ICC=0.97). Significant correlations were observed between KSSQ12 scores and the Nijmegen Cochlear Implant Questionnaire, supporting its concurrent validity with a CI-specific quality-of-life measure.Conclusion The K-SSQ12 demonstrated robust psychometric properties, with high reliability and good concurrent validity. It can be used to assess subjective hearing abilities and may serve as a valuable complement to standardized audiological assessments in clinical settings.
Amid global economic integration and changes in international patterns, strategic emerging industries have become the core driving force for high-quality economic development and industrial structure upgrading. Studying the structural evolution of the global trade network of strategic environmental products and its influence mechanism can help reveal the changes in the industrial division of labour and guide the formulation of green trade policies. Based on this, this paper analyses the evolution of trade networks of products in the fields including energy-saving technologies, new materials, renewable energy, etc., using social network analysis and an exponential random graph model with 50 countries around the world as the research object from 2010 to 2022. It is found that the global trade network of strategic environmental products has been affected by the decoupling of the international situation, and trade links have been reduced, forming three major independent groups, with a stable core-edge structure, and the United States, Germany, and China playing an important pivotal role. Factors such as economic fundamentals, R&D expenditures, and trade openness have a positive impact on network formation, while external factors and internal structural features of the network also influence network evolution.
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:Localization of a sound source in the horizontal plane depends on the listener's interaural comparison of arrival time and level. Hearing loss (HL) can reduce access to these binaural cues, possibly disrupting the localization and memory of spatial information. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the horizontal sound localization performance and the spatial short-term memory in listeners with actual and simulated HL. SUBJECTS AND METHODS:Seventeen listeners with bilateral symmetric HL and 17 listeners with normal hearing (NH) participated in the study. The hearing thresholds of NH listeners were elevated by a spectrally shaped masking noise for the simulations of unilateral hearing loss (UHL) and bilateral hearing loss (BHL). The localization accuracy and errors as well as the spatial short-term memory span were measured in the free field using a set of 11 loudspeakers arrayed over a 150° arc. RESULTS:The localization abilities and spatial short-term memory span did not significantly differ between actual BHL listeners and BHL-simulated NH listeners. Overall, the localization performance with the UHL simulation was approximately twofold worse than that with the BHL simulation, and the hearing asymmetry led to a detrimental effect on spatial memory. The mean localization score as a function of stimulus location in the UHL simulation was less than 30% even for the front (0° azimuth) stimuli and much worse on the side closer to the simulated ear. In the UHL simulation, the localization responses were biased toward the side of the intact ear even when sounds were coming from the front. CONCLUSIONS:Hearing asymmetry induced by the UHL simulation substantially disrupted the localization performance and recall abilities of spatial positions encoded and stored in the memory, due to fewer chances to learn strategies to improve localization. The marked effect of hearing asymmetry on sound localization highlights the need for clinical assessments of spatial hearing in addition to conventional hearing tests.
Purpose: The Spatial Hearing Questionnaire (SHQ) is a self-report subjective questionnaire that includes eight subscales, including “understanding of male, female, and child’s voice”, “music”, “localization”, “speech understanding in quiet, noise-front, and noise-separate situations”. The aim of this study was to examine the validity and reliability of the Korean version of the SHQ (K-SHQ) in cochlear implant (CI) users. Methods: Fifty-two adult CI users participated in this study. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the K-SHQ were evaluated. Concurrent validity was identified by comparing the K-SHQ responses with the “spatial hearing” subscale scores from the Korean version of the Speech, Spatial, and Qualities of Hearing Scale (K-SSQ). We also examined the construct validity of the K-SHQ through an exploratory factor analysis. Results: Overall, the greatest difficulties were obtained from the subscale of “localization”, with the least difficulties in the subscale of “speech in quiet”. Both internal consistency and test-retest reliability were adequate for CI users based on all 24 items and the 8-subscale responses of the K-SHQ. The “localization” subscale responses of the K-SHQ were significantly correlated with the “spatial hearing”subscale responses of the K-SSQ, demonstrating a good concurrent validity in relation to localization performance. The results of the exploratory factor analysis showed that two factors, “speech understanding” and “localization”, explained 73.2% of the variance. Conclusion: The K-SHQ showed satisfactory reliability and validity in evaluating speech understanding as well as spatial hearing abilities in cochlear implant users, especially in complex listening situations.
