Comparison of three fitting rationales in adults in an artificial intelligence parallel processing hearing aid

Abstract

Abstract Introduction: Hearing rehabilitation using nonlinear hearing aid (HA) fitting formulae provides hearing-impaired individuals with the audibility, comfort, and speech intelligibility for a better life. Objective: To compare three nonlinear HA fitting formulae in adults in a Channel Free artificial intelligence parallel processing HA. Materials and methods: The study included 19 adults with bilateral moderate to severe sensorineural hearing loss, monaurally fitted with nonlinear HA. Comparisons were made on the basis of aided speech intelligibility in quiet and in noise, aided sound field thresholds, and functional performance in real life using APHAB, COSI, and GHABP questionnaires. Results: The three formulae have significantly improved speech discrimination in adults, with no significant difference among the formulae for speech intelligibility in quiet or in noise, with no sex or HA experience differences. The three formulae have significantly improved functional performance in real-life speech communication, with the NAL-NL1-based formula showing the greatest degree of benefit and improvement in listening needs, followed by NAL-NL1 and then DSL [I/O]. However, amplification with the three formulae increased aversiveness to environmental sounds. Participants reported significant benefits using NAL and NAL-NL1-based formulae. Experienced HA users, using the NAL-NL1-based formula, showed significantly less difficulty in listening quality in large spaces and greater capacity to recognize speech within competitive noise and better tolerance to environmental sounds than nonexperienced users. The SPIN test correlated well with real-life speech communication. Conclusion: The three fitting rationales have equally improved intelligibility, with variable degrees of improvement in real-life speech communication with preferences for NAL-NL1 and the manufacture-specific NAL-NL1-based formula.