ABSTRACT Objectives This study aimed to revisit and update the normative data for the Turkish HINT by presenting headphone and loudspeaker results, establishing reference values in a quiet, non‐sound‐treated room, and identifying common clinical application errors with recommendations for improving test accuracy and consistency. Methods This was a prospective cross‐sectional study. A total of 30 normal‐hearing adults were participated. The measurements were performed in a quiet, non‐sound‐treated room in an ENT clinic. Each participant was tested with both headphones and loudspeakers under four listening conditions: Quiet, Noise Front (NF), Noise Right (NR), and Noise Left (NL). The Reception Threshold for Sentences (RTS) in quiet and the signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) in three conditions (NF, NR, and NL) were assessed. Results The mean scores and standard deviations of the best two‐score averages obtained with headphones and loudspeakers were presented. A significant multivariate effect of presentation mode (loudspeakers vs. headphones) was detected ( p < 0.001). Performance varied significantly across front and side listening conditions, while no difference was found between the NR and NL conditions under either presentation mode ( p < 0.001). Conclusions Normative data for headphones and loudspeakers in a quiet room rather than a sound‐treated booth were provided. Such data are important because many clinics either lack access to sound‐treated booths or have booths that are too small to accommodate the loudspeakers. In addition, several issues encountered during test administration were discussed, and practical solutions were presented.

PURPOSE:A limited body of research has investigated temporal speech production parameters in children with auditory brainstem implants (ABIs). This study aimed to compare voice onset time (VOT) production profiles in pediatric users of unilateral cochlear implants (CIs), bilateral CIs, and ABIs with an age-matched normal-hearing (NH) control group. METHOD:Seventy native Turkish-speaking children (24 with NH, 17 with unilateral CI, 20 with bilateral CI, and nine with ABI) participated in the study. VOT values were acoustically measured from 18 real words containing initial voiced and voiceless stop consonants across different vowel contexts using Praat software. RESULTS:Significant between-group differences were observed for both voiceless and voiced plosives. For voiceless plosives (requiring long-lag aspiration), all implant groups produced significantly shorter VOTs than their NH peers, with the ABI group demonstrating the shortest values. For voiced plosives (requiring true prevoicing), CI users deviated significantly from NH norms; remarkably, however, ABI users successfully achieved prevoicing, showing no significant difference from the NH group. Furthermore, within-group analyses revealed that the implant groups lacked the consistent vowel-driven anticipatory coarticulation observed in the NH group. CONCLUSIONS:Severe degradation of the auditory feedback loop affects VOT production differently across auditory device types. Children with ABIs exhibit a unique compensatory profile characterized by preserved temporal accuracy for low-frequency voiced targets but with significant deficits for high-frequency voiceless targets. For speech-language pathologists working in school settings, these findings underscore the necessity of designing device-specific and language-sensitive interventions-particularly targeting precise laryngeal coordination-to support speech intelligibility and phonological development in this clinical population. SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL:https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.32677827.

Children with inner ear malformations, particularlyIncomplete Partition Type II (IP-II), often exhibit variability in auditory and cognitive outcomes despite receiving appropriate rehabilitation. This study aimed to compare phoneme discrimination, executive functions, verbal memory, and hearing-related quality of life in children with IP-II using cochlear implants against peers with normal cochlear anatomy (using hearing aids or implants) and normal hearing. Fifty-eight children (aged 7–10 years) were divided into four groups: hearing aid users (HA), cochlear implant users with normal anatomy (CI), CI users with IP-II(CI), and normal-hearing controls. The test battery included the Auditory Speech Sound Evaluation (ASSE), Stroop Test, Working Memory Scale, and HEAR-QL-26. Regression analyses examined predictors of cognitive outcomes. Phoneme discrimination accuracy differed significantly among groups (p < 0.001), with the IP-II(CI) group demonstrating the lowest performance. Verbal memory levels also differed significantly (p = 0.014), with the HA group showing a notably higher proportion of “very low” performance. While no significant differences were found in Stroop performance, descriptively longer completion times were observed in hearing-impaired groups. Quality of life scores were significantly lower in all hearing-impaired groups (p < 0.01). Regression analyses indicated that duration of device use was a significant predictor of interference control (Stroop Level 5: β=−0.45,p = 0.002). Children with IP-II exhibit reduced phoneme discrimination and verbal memory vulnerabilities despite comparable aided thresholds. These findings highlight the necessity of incorporating phoneme-level and cognitive assessments into routine follow-up, as audiological measures alone may underestimate functional listening challenges.

This study aimed to investigate auditory brainstem response (ABR) findings across subgroups of inner ear anomalies and to compare the ABR profiles in cases with cochlear nerve deficiency (CND). A total of 189 ears from 109 individuals with various inner ear anomalies were evaluated. Radiological findings were used to classify each ear into specific anomaly subgroups and to assess cochlear nerve status. ABR outcomes were then analyzed accordingly. CND was consistently observed in complete labyrinthine aplasia, rudimentary otocyst, cochlear aplasia, and common cavity malformations, with absent ABR wave V and cochlear microphonic (CM) responses. Cochlear hypoplasia and incomplete partition subtypes showed variable ABR and CM responses. In cochlear aperture anomalies, CND was consistently observed, with absent wave V but detectable CM of variable latency. Wave V responses differed significantly between normal and CND ears (p < 0.001), whereas CM responses did not (p = 0.055). This study delineates ABR characteristics specific to inner ear anomaly subgroups and highlights the influence of CND on ABR outcomes. The findings underscore the potential of detailed ABR analysis to serve as a valuable tool for guiding auditory rehabilitation decisions and emphasize its relevance in shaping future clinical practice guidelines.

This study examined receptive and expressive language proficiency, Theory of Mind (ToM), emotional expressiveness, and social competence in preschool-aged children with cochlear implants (CIs) and age-matched typically hearing (TH) peers. Thirty-two children with CIs and 32 TH children aged 48–72 months completed scenario-based ToM tasks and standardized language assessments; emotional expressiveness and social behavior were rated by parents and teachers. Children with CIs obtained significantly lower scores than TH peers on ToM and receptive and expressive language measures and were rated as having lower social competence. In contrast, the groups did not differ in emotional expressiveness, anger–aggression, or anxiety–withdrawal. Within the CI group, receptive and expressive language were positively associated with both ToM and social competence. The zero-order associations between hearing age and receptive and expressive language were no longer statistically significant after chronological age was controlled, whereas hearing age remained associated with ToM. These findings suggest that language proficiency and accumulated auditory experience may each contribute to individual differences in socio-cognitive outcomes, although causal relationships cannot be inferred from the present study.

OBJECTIVE:Heightened listening effort in cochlear implant (CI) users may have a significant impact on their balance performance. This study aims to investigate the impact of listening effort on postural control in typical-hearing adults presented with CI-simulated speech in noise. METHODS:The study participants were fifty-eight adults with typical hearing (aged 20-24 years). Turkish Hearing in Noise Test (HINT) sentences were used as the speech material. The Modified Clinical Test of Sensory Interaction in Balance (mCTSIB) was used to evaluate static balance and it was performed by using Computerized Static Posturography. In the experimental design of the study, healthy participants with typical hearing listened to non-simulated and CI-simulated sentences and repeated what they heard while the participants were performing the mCTSIB test on the force platform of static posturography. RESULTS:In this study, the participants' postural sway velocity rates were compared under three task conditions. The results demonstrated a statistically significant increase in participants' sway velocity rates when listening to 12-channel filtered speech in noise material compared to those from the baseline mCTSIB assessment. There was no statistically significant differences in postural sway rate ratios when listening to unfiltered speech in noise material. CONCLUSION:Increased listening effort for CI-simulated speech-in-noise resulted in poorer postural balance. A better understanding of such a difficulty may help us to evaluate postural balance from different perspectives and plan an appropriate vestibular rehabilitation program.

Recent research highlights the importance of ecological validity in speech-in-noise testing to better reflect real-world listening. In the original Hearing in Noise Test (HINT), speech-shaped noise is presented from one loudspeaker and target sentences from another. This preliminary study introduces an ecologically adapted Turkish HINT (Eco-HINT), which uses running-speech maskers and a three-speaker setup to create a more spatially complex and realistic listening environment. It establishes normative data for young adults with normal hearing. Two text-based and two dialogue-based running-speech maskers were created from recordings of two voice actors (Masker Text and Masker Dialogue), at a 44.1 kHz sampling rate, recorded using Logic Pro for Mac. These recordings were edited, combined, and integrated into the HINT software. Target sentences were presented at 0°, with maskers at 100° and 260°. Some 42 normal-hearing Turkish adults (23 females, 19 males; aged 18–45 years) were tested with Eco-HINT. The Reception Threshold for Sentences at 50% accuracy (RTS50) and final signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) were recorded. Descriptive statistics, sex comparisons, and test–retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient) were analysed. No significant sex-related differences were found in any test condition (p > 0.05). A percentile distribution is presented in which the 25th, 50th, 75th, and 95th percentile values for males are slightly better. Reliability was good for Masker Text SNR [dB], Masker Text RTS50 [dB], and Masker Dialogue SNR [dB] but lower for Masker Dialogue RTS50 [dB]. The Turkish Eco-HINT provides a promising alternative to the original Turkish HINT. The normative data obtained from young adults will serve as a foundation for future use. Our findings imply that in order to capture the complexity of daily listening challenges, ecological validity must be incorporated. The preliminary Turkish Eco-HINT suggests it can more realistically assess a listener’s functional hearing performance in noisy environments.

OBJECTIVE:The majority of individuals with hearing loss worldwide reside in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), but there is limited information regarding the characteristics of hearing loss in these regions. This descriptive study aims to address this knowledge gap by analysing audiogram patterns in LMIC populations. Greater knowledge about the properties of hearing loss in LMICs allows for improved planning of interventions. STUDY SAMPLE:Retrospective data from 23 collaborating centres across 16 LMICs were collected. All participants were adults seeking help for hearing problems. A machine learning approach was utilised to classify the hearing threshold data and identify representative profiles. The study comprised 5773 participants. RESULTS:The results revealed mildly sloping audiometric patterns with varying severity. The patterns differed from previous studies conducted in high-income regions which included more steeply sloping losses. The findings also indicated a higher proportion of more severe levels of hearing loss. CONCLUSIONS:These variations could be attributed to population-level differences in the causative mechanisms of hearing loss in LMICs, such as a higher prevalence of infectious disease-related hearing loss. The results may also reflect differences in health seeking behaviours. This study highlights the need for tailored, scalable, hearing interventions for LMICs.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the effects of Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) on low-frequency (LF) pitch and speech-in-noise perception linked to temporal sensitivity and everyday auditory performance. The relationships between these outcomes and potential confounders, such as diabetes duration, glycemic control, and neuropathy, were also examined. Method: The participants consisted of 18 young patients with T1DM. They were matched with 18 healthy controls based on age, gender, and audiometric thresholds (up to 20 kHz). Measurements included behavioral measures of temporal sensitivity using the low-pass-filtered Word Stress Pattern (WSP-LPF) test and the Hearing in Noise Test (HINT), as well as self-reported measure using the Speech, Spatial and Qualities of Hearing Scale. Results: Patients with T1DM showed significantly poorer performance on both the WSP-LPF (p < .001), and HINT (p = .004) tests compared to healthy controls. Specifically, patients with T1DM showed impaired perception of lexical stress cued by LF pitch and required higher signal-to-noise ratios to effectively perceive speech in complex listening situations. Self-report measures indicated reduced hearing satisfaction in patients with T1DM (p = .001). Statistically significant correlations were found between WSP-LPF and diabetes duration (p = .021). Conclusions: The present findings reveal that T1DM negatively affects the perception of lexical stress and speech-in-noise performance, reflecting disruptions in temporal sensitivity. These impairments are present even in patients with normal audiometric thresholds, and addressing these deficits may be crucial for improving auditory function and developing targeted interventions.

OBJECTIVES:In individuals with normal hearing, vocal emotion recognition continues to develop over many years during childhood. In children with hearing loss, vocal emotion recognition may be affected by combined effects from loss of audibility due to elevated thresholds, suprathreshold distortions from hearing loss, and the compensatory features of hearing aids. These effects could be acute, affecting the perceived signal quality, or accumulated over time, affecting emotion recognition development. This study investigates if, and to what degree, children with hearing aids have difficulties in perceiving vocal emotions, beyond what would be expected from age-typical levels. DESIGN:We used a vocal emotion recognition test with non-language-specific pseudospeech audio sentences expressed in three basic emotions: happy, sad, and angry, along with a child-friendly gamified test interface. The test group consisted of 55 school-age children (5.4 to 17.8 years) with bilateral hearing aids, all with sensorineural hearing loss with no further exclusion based on hearing loss degree or configuration. For characterization of complete developmental trajectories, the control group with normal audiometric thresholds consisted of 86 age-matched children (6.0 to 17.1 years), and 68 relatively young adults (19.1 to 35.0 years). RESULTS:Vocal emotion recognition of the control group with normal-hearing children and adults improved across age and reached a plateau around age 20. Although vocal emotion recognition in children with hearing aids also improved with age, it seemed to lag compared with the control group of children with normal hearing. A group comparison showed a significant difference from around age 8 years. Individual data indicated that a number of hearing-aided children, even with severe degrees of hearing loss, performed at age-expected levels, while some others scored lower than age-expected levels, even at chance levels. The recognition scores of hearing-aided children were not predicted by unaided or aided hearing thresholds, nor by previously measured voice cue discrimination sensitivity, for example, related to mean pitch or vocal tract length perception. CONCLUSIONS:In line with previous literature, even in normal hearing, vocal emotion recognition develops over many years toward adulthood, likely due to interactions with linguistic and cognitive development. Given the long development period, any potential difficulties for vocal emotion recognition in children with hearing loss can only be identified with respect to what would be realistic based on their age. With such a comparison, we were able to show that, as a group, children with hearing aids also develop in vocal emotion recognition, however, seemingly at a slower pace. Individual data indicated a number of the hearing-aided children showed age-expected vocal emotion recognition. Hence, even though hearing aids have been developed and optimized for speech perception, these data indicate that hearing aids can also support age-typical development of vocal emotion recognition. For the children whose recognition scores were lower than age-expected levels, there were no predictive hearing-related factors. This could be potentially reflecting inherent variations related to development of relevant cognitive mechanisms, but a role from cumulative effects from hearing loss is also a possibility. As follow-up research, we plan to investigate if vocal emotion recognition will improve over time for these children.

PURPOSE:The aims of this study were to (a) investigate speech-in-noise perception using an adaptive procedure in school-aged children with bilateral cochlear implants (CIs); (b) evaluate the impact of chronological age, age at the second implantation, and interimplant interval on auditory performance in children with bilateral CIs; and (c) determine the correlation between speech recognition performance and subjective parental questionnaire scores. METHOD:A total of 24 school-aged children with bilateral CIs participated in this study, divided into two groups: Group I (younger than 108 months of age, n = 12) and Group II (older than 108 months of age, n = 12). Speech recognition performance was assessed using sentences from the Turkish Hearing in Noise Test for Children under both quiet and noisy conditions at an adaptive signal-to-noise ratio. The auditory behavior of the children in daily life was evaluated by interviewing parents using the Parent's Evaluation of Aural/Oral Performance of Children (PEACH) scale. RESULTS:The Quiet and Noise Composite Scores of Group II were significantly better than those of Group I (p = .033 and p = .041, respectively). However, no significant difference was observed between the PEACH scores of the groups (p = .378). A significant correlation was found between PEACH scores and speech recognition performance under both quiet (p = .009) and noisy conditions (p = .021). CONCLUSIONS:Chronological age had a greater impact on speech recognition performance than age at the second implantation and interimplant interval, emphasizing the role of age-related auditory development in speech perception. Additionally, parental perspective questionnaires may serve as a practical and efficient tool for assessing functional hearing abilities in children, particularly in educational settings where standard speech perception tests may not always be feasible.

BACKGROUND:The intraoperative measurements are essential steps in cochlear implant (CI) surgery for confirming correct electrode placement. OBJECTIVES:To examine the intraoperative impedance and electrically evoked action potential (ECAP) measurement results of cochlear implant (CI) users with normal cochlear anatomy (NCA) and to compare them with CI users with inner ear malformations (IEM). MATERIAL AND METHODS:This retrospective study included intraoperative data of 300 ears from 258 individuals using Medel® and Cochlear (Nucleus®) CI devices. RESULTS:Impedance values differed through all regions, and that differences in ECAPs results mainly stemmed from the basal region in Cochlear users, when comparing the impedance values and ECAPs recording prevalence between the NCA and IEM groups, it was observed that there was no significant difference in the impedance values across the intracochlear regions of the groups (apical; p = .26, middle; p = .12, basal; p = .99). However, it was found that the prevalence of measurable ECAPs in all intracochlear regions of the NCA group was higher than the IEM group (p = .000). CONCLUSION AND SIGNIFICANCE:The robustness of cochlear structures is a crucial factor in the recording of ECAPs. Furthermore, findings in the IEM group demonstrated that proper placement of intracochlear electrodes did not guarantee effective auditory nerve stimulation.

OBJECTIVES:Alexithymia is characterized by difficulties in identifying and describing one's own emotions. Alexithymia has previously been associated with deficits in the processing of emotional information at both behavioral and neurobiological levels, and some studies have shown elevated levels of alexithymic traits in adults with hearing loss. This explorative study investigated alexithymia in young and adolescent school-age children with hearing aids in relation to (1) a sample of age-matched children with normal hearing, (2) age, (3) hearing thresholds, and (4) vocal emotion recognition. DESIGN:A translated-to-Turkish version of the Children's Alexithymia Measure (CAM), where higher scores indicate higher levels of alexithymic traits, was filled in by the parents of 37 children (5.5 to 17.8 yr) with bilateral hearing aids and 37 children (5.1 to 18.3 yr) with normal hearing, all native speakers of Turkish. Vocal emotion recognition scores, assessed using the psychophysical vocal emotion recognition test for hearing-impaired populations (EmoHI), were available from a previous study for the group with hearing aids. This test uses non-language-specific pseudospeech sentence recordings expressing three basic emotions: angry, happy, and sad. RESULTS:Parent-reported CAM scores of children with normal hearing (mean = 7.19 ± 6.61) and children with hearing aids (mean = 8.59 ± 4.38) were within the range previously reported for neurotypical children. Group-level comparison showed no statistically significant difference in CAM scores. However, when considering age, CAM scores of children with normal hearing increased as a function of age, while CAM scores of children with hearing aids were not affected by age. Furthermore, for the youngest children up to 8.8 yr, children with hearing aids had significantly higher CAM scores than children with normal hearing. In children with hearing aids, neither unaided nor aided pure-tone audiometric thresholds were significant predictors for CAM scores. Furthermore, the CAM scores and EmoHI scores were not significantly correlated. CONCLUSIONS:Although the developmental patterns of parent-reported alexithymia scores as a function of age differed between the sample of children with hearing aids and the sample of children with normal hearing, the group difference was observed only for the youngest participants (<8.8 yr). When collapsed across the full age range, there was no group effect, and for both groups, the parent-reported alexithymia scores were within the ranges previously reported in neurotypical children. For the children with hearing aids, unaided and aided hearing thresholds did not have a predictive value for parent-reported alexithymia scores and there was no significant correlation between the CAM and EmoHI scores. These findings together indicate no elevated levels of alexithymic traits in children with hearing aids, at least for 8.8 yr and older. This is not consistent with previous research with adults with hearing loss, assessed with adult-directed questionnaires via self-report. The difference between our findings with children and earlier results from studies with adults with hearing loss may be due to differing methodologies. Alternatively, alexithymia patterns may be different between children and adults with hearing loss. The lack of alexithymia indications implies that the difficulties in vocal emotion recognition for children with hearing aids may be specific to the perception of auditory information and not related to challenges in the general processing of emotional information.

This study compares unilateral and bilateral phoneme discrimination (PD) and azimuth localization abilities in children with severe inner ear malformations and cochlear nerve deficiencies who use a cochlear implant (CI) and a contralateral auditory brainstem implant (ABI). A total of 17 children between the ages of 7 and 18 years with CI and contralateral ABI were included in the study. PD and localization tests were evaluated in three conditions: CI only, ABI only, and bilateral. All subjects completed a self-report Hearing-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) scale. Statistical analysis revealed that PD scores were significantly higher in the bilateral condition than in the ABI condition alone (p = 0.003). However, no significant differences were found between the CI and ABI or between the CI and bilateral conditions. Similarly, no statistically significant differences in localization performance were found between the three conditions (p > 0.05). Regression analysis identified HRQoL as a significant predictor of bilateral PD (p < 0.05), while ABI localization was a significant predictor of bilateral localization (p < 0.05). Additionally, bilateral PD was found to be a significant predictor of HRQoL (p = 0.001). While the performance of CI alone and bilateral PD is similar, there is a significant difference between the performance of ABI alone and bilateral PD. Therefore, in cases with an ABI, bilateral stimulation should be maintained by continued use of a CI in the contralateral ear, even in the presence of severe inner ear malformation and/or cochlear nerve deficiencies. In the long term, comparable levels of PD discrimination and localization performance can be achieved by using two different modalities.

The prevalence of refugees in Turkey has increased since the onset of the Syrian conflict. Refugees, as a demographic group, confront a spectrum of health challenges attributable to variables including malnutrition, restricted access to medical services, and unmanaged chronic health conditions. This study aims to investigate the hearing screening results among Syrian children in Ankara to assess the need for additional measures to raise awareness and to identify factors that may affect the hearing health of this population. A total of 438 Syrian children (n = 876 ears), with a mean age of 7.41 ± 2.71 years, who attended the International Association for Asylum and Solidarity With Refugees centers, were enrolled in the study. Each child underwent otoscopic examination, tympanometry, and pure-tone audiometry screening. Of the tested ears, 225 (25.6

INTRODUCTION:For a comprehensive approach in children with hearing loss (HL), some cognitive and language skills should also be considered, along with auditory skills. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the working memory and language skills in children with mild to moderate HL. METHODS:Forty children with mild to moderate HL between the ages of 4 and 9 years were included in this study. The children with mild and moderate HL were evaluated in two groups. The Meaningless Word Repetition test, Test of Language Development-Primary test, and Meaningful Auditory Integration Scale were administered to assess working memory, language skills, and auditory perception, respectively. Also, the relationship between language and memory skills was evaluated. RESULTS:The study found statistically significant correlations between language skills and working memory test scores. Additionally, statistically significant differences were found between children with mild and moderate HL in terms of language and memory skills (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION:The children with moderate HL demonstrated poorer performance compared to those with mild HL. Even if it is mild, the degree of HL affects children's language and memory skills. It is emphasized that the relationship between language and working memory should be taken into consideration in auditory rehabilitation programs for these children.

Objectives: This study aims to synthesize current knowledge and outcomes related to pediatric auditory brainstem implantation (ABI) in children with severe inner ear malformations (IEMs). It highlights the clinical management practices, challenges, and potential future directions for consensus development in this field. Methods: A systematic review of findings presented at the Third International Pediatric ABI Symposium organized by the Hacettepe Cochlear Implant team between 3 and 5 September 2020 was conducted, incorporating data from 41 departments across 19 countries. Relevant clinical outcomes, imaging techniques, surgical approaches, and rehabilitation strategies were analyzed to identify key trends and variability in practices. Results: The review indicates that children receiving ABIs exhibit diverse auditory outcomes influenced by individual anatomical variations and developmental factors. Early implantation, particularly before the age of three, positively correlates with better auditory and language development. Multicenter experiences underscore the necessity of tailored decision-making, which considers both surgical candidacy and comprehensive rehabilitation resources. Discussion:: The variability in outcomes emphasizes the need for improved consensus and guidelines regarding eligibility, surgical techniques, and multidisciplinary rehabilitation approaches. Notable complications and the necessity for thorough imaging assessments were also identified as critical components affecting clinical decisions. Conclusion: A formal consensus statement is warranted to standardize best practices in ABI management. This will not only enhance patient outcomes but also guide future research efforts to address the remaining challenges in the treatment of children with severe IEMs. Enhanced collaboration among team members will be pivotal in achieving these objectives.

Purpose This study aims to evaluate school-age language skills and auditory performance in different listening situations in children with cochlear implants and auditory brainstem implants. Method The study included 60 children between the ages of 5 and 9 years with cochlear implants (CI) and auditory brainstem implants (ABI). The volunteer children were divided into two groups: bimodal CI-ABI and bilateral CI users. Test of Language Development: Primary (TOLD-P:4), which assesses components of language such as phonology, morphology, syntax and semantics, was used to evaluate school-age language skills. Children’s Auditory Performance Scale (CHAPS) was used to measure their listening performance in quiet, noisy, multi-stimulus environments and their auditory attention and memory skills in daily life. The correlations between language and auditory performance were analyzed and compared between the two groups. Results Children with ABI showed poorer performance in school-age language skills and auditory performance in different listening environments ( p < 0.05). Significant correlations were between school-age language skills and auditory performance ( p < 0.05). Conclusion Improved auditory performance is crucial for the development of school-age language skills. To improve auditory performance in children with ABI in different listening environments, assistive listening devices, acoustic environmental arrangements, informative activities, etc., should be used.

BACKGROUND:Incomplete partition type II (IP-II) malformation is often accompanied by a large vestibular aqueduct (LVA). In IP anomalies, the patient's auditory rehabilitation requirements are decided according to the presence of inner ear structures and the degree of hearing loss (HL). There has been limited research on auditory rehabilitation (AR) requirement selection in patients diagnosed with IP-II and LVA. This study investigated the typical characteristics of HL and AR choices in patients diagnosed with IP-II and LVA. METHODS:Patients with IP-II and LVA (n=55; 25 women and 30 men) were identified, and audiological evaluations were performed. The patient's demographic characteristics, the type and degree of HL, the AR method, age at diagnosis, and educational status were retrospectively compared. RESULTS:The distribution of our 55 patients according to cochlear implants, hearing aids (HA), and bimodal applications was 29.1% (n=16), 43.6% (n=24), and 27.3% (n=15), respectively. Statistical analyses using chi-square tests found no significant differences in the incidence of dizziness/imbalance, tinnitus, HL progression, or the degree and onset of HL among the patients. CONCLUSION:The data revealed different audiological characteristics among patients with IP-II and LVA, as well as different AR solutions. The most widely used AR modality was found to be HA. Prediction of sudden versus progressive HL development among patients is challenging, and the characteristics of IP-II vary. Therefore, they should be interpreted with caution.