Search

The objective of this study is to assess the potential of a transformer-based deep learning approach applied to event-related brain potentials (ERPs) derived from electroencephalographic (EEG) data. Traditional methods involve averaging the EEG signal of multiple trials to extract valuable neural signals from the high noise content of EEG data. However, this averaging technique may conceal relevant information. Our investigation focuses on determining whether a transformer-based deep learning approach, specifically utilizing attention maps, an essential component of transformer networks, can provide deeper insights into ERP data compared to traditional averaging-based analyses. We investigated the data of an experiment on loudness perception. In the study, 29 normal-hearing participants between 18 and 30 years were presented with acoustic stimuli at five different sound levels between 65 and 95 dB and provided their subjective loudness rating, which was categorized as "too loud" and "not too loud". During the sound presentation, EEG signals were recorded. A convolutional transformer was trained to categorize the EEG data into the two classes ("not too loud" and "too loud"). The classifier exhibited exceptional performance, achieving over 86 % accuracy and an Area under the Curve (AUC) of up to 0.95. Through the utilization of the trained networks, attention maps were generated. Those attention maps provided insights into the time windows relevant for classification within the EEG data. The attention maps above all showed a focus on the time window around 150 to 200 ms, where the average based analysis did not indicate relevant potentials. Employing these attention maps, we were able to gain new perspectives on the ERPs, discovering the attention maps potential as a tool for delving deeper into the analysis of event-related potentials., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no competing financial interests., (Copyright © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The goal of the study was to determine the short- and long-term outcome of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in adults implanted with a Vibrant Soundbridge (VSB)., Methods: Twenty-one adults (8 females, 13 males; mean age at implantation: 57 ±10 years) who received a unilateral VSB for combined or conductive hearing loss, were administered two questionnaires: the Nijmegen Cochlear Implant Questionnaire (NCIQ) as a measure of hearing-specific HRQoL, and the Health Utility Index 3 (HUI 3) as a measure of generic HRQoL. The questionnaires were administered before implantation and three, six, 12 and 24 months after processor activation., Results: The NCIQ total score raised significantly from 62 points before implantation to 76 points at three months after processor activation (p < 0.005). Thereafter, no significant increases occurred anymore. The HUI 3 multi-attribute score (MAUS) increased from 0.59 before implantation to 0.70 at three months and at six months after processor activation and then declined slightly to 0.68 at 24 months after processor activation. Similar values were observed with the HUI 3 single-attribute score (SAUS) of Hearing. The increases of the HUI 3 scores were not statistically significant, but all pre-post-implantation differences were clinically relevant., Discussion: VSB recipients experienced a quick improvement of their HRQoL. After just three months of device use, a significant improvement of hearing-specific HRQoL and a clinically relevant improvement of generic HRQoL were seen. After three months, no essential changes of HRQoL occurred in our sample, suggesting that the achieved level of HRQoL may remain stable in the long term., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Purpose: Perceived social support has been shown to positively correlate with health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) in a variety of conditions. This study investigated whether perceived social support is affecting HR-QoL of patients who receive a cochlear implant (CI) for deafness., Methods: Eighty eight adults (56 males, 32 females; mean age: 60 years) with a uni- or bilateral CI for bilateral high-grade hearing loss were administered two questionnaires: a questionnaire for perceived social support (FSU-14) and the Nijmegen Cochlear Implant Questionnaire (NCIQ) for hearing-specific HR-QoL. Administration of the questionnaires occurred at four points in time: before implantation and three, 12 and 24 months after implant activation., Results: The CI patients had quite high levels of perceived social support (mean percentile rank: 71), which remained stable at all four measurement points. Multivariate Analysis showed a significant interaction between perceived social support and HR-QoL indicating that higher perceived social support lead to higher improvement of HR-QoL after cochlear implantation., Conclusion: The CI patients in this study had higher than average levels of perceived social support, which did not change before and after cochlear implantation. Perceived social support and HR-QoL were related such that patients with high levels of perceived social support experienced greater improvement of their HR-QoL after cochlear implantation than patients with low levels of perceived social support. Based on this finding, perceived social support must be considered as an important factor for HR-QoL after cochlear implantation., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: The Nijmegen Cochlear Implant Questionnaire (NCIQ) is a questionnaire for assessing hearing-specific quality of life in the context of cochlear implantation. Its length (60 items) makes it difficult to use in clinical practice, so a short version is desirable. The question arises as to which items should be selected for the short version., Methods: The items were selected statistically using uncorrected item-total score correlation. Item selection was made based on datasets from three measurement points: before implantation and 3 and 12 months after processor activation. The items were selected according to the criterion that they were among the 40 items with the highest item-total score correlation at each of the three measurement points., Results: Of the 60 items in the NCIQ, 25 met the criterion and were hence included in the short version. The short version yields similar scores as the long version at the postoperative timepoints; however, at the preoperative timepoint, the agreement of the scores is suboptimal. Split-half reliability and internal homogeneity of the short version are very good., Conclusion: The present study constitutes an initial positive evaluation of a short form of the NCIQ in terms of standard psychometric criteria. Application of the short form is associated with significantly reduced resources in terms of processing and evaluating., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Medizin Verlag GmbH, ein Teil von Springer Nature.)

Measuring the electrically evoked stapedius reflex during the fitting of cochlear implants (CIs) provides a reliable estimation of maximum comfort levels, resulting in the programming of the CI with high hearing comfort and good speech understanding. Detection of the stapedius reflex and the required stimulation level on each implant channel is already being performed during surgery, whereby intraoperative stapedius reflexes are observed through the surgical microscope. Intraoperative stapedius reflex detection is both an indicator that the auditory nerve is responding to electrical stimulation up to the brainstem and a test for the ability to perform postoperative stapedius reflex measurements. Postoperative stapedius reflex thresholds can be used to estimate upper stimulation levels in the CI fitting process. In particular, in children or patients unable to provide feedback on loudness perception, this method avoids inadequate stimulation with the CI, which can result in poor hearing performance. In addition, overstimulation can be avoided, which could even lead to refusal to use the device.

Background: Previous studies found that in patients with profound hearing loss the NEO- personality factor Openness-to-experience is lowered., Objective: Assuming that lowered Openness-to-experience may be due to limited access to sounds, we hypothesized that levels of Openness-to-experience would increase in these patients after cochlear implantation., Material and Methods: Twenty adults (mean age: 61 years; active CI users) with bilateral profound hearing loss were assessed with the NEO-Five-Factor-Inventory before cochlear implantation (pre) and five years later (post)., Results: No significant pre-post changes in personality were seen. Both before and five years after cochlear implantation, the sample had normal age- and gender-specific mean values on the factors Extraversion, Neuroticism, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness (T ≈ 50), but significantly lowered mean values on Openness-to-experience (T ≈ 42, p  < 0.001)., Conclusions and Significance: Cochlear implantation apparently has no (or at best very little) effect on Openness-to-experience in profoundly hearing impaired patients. While this study demonstrates once again, that high-grade hearing loss may be associated with less openness to new experiences, the reason for this association remains unclear.

Background: Only few studies assessed health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in cochlear implant (CI) patients for a period of more than 2 years. Some of these studies indicated that HRQoL might decrease after that period. The goal of our study was to see whether HRQoL indeed decreases or remains stable beyond 2 years after implant activation., Methods: Twenty-five adults (11 women, 14 men; mean age at implantation: 60 ± 19 yr) with a unilateral CI for profound hearing loss were administered two questionnaires: the Nimjegen Cochlear Implant Questionnaire and the Health Utility Index 3 (HUI 3). The Nimjegen Cochlear Implant Questionnaire total score and the HUI single-attribute utility score of Hearing are measures of hearing-specific HRQoL, whereas the HUI multiattribute utility score is a measure of generic HRQoL. The questionnaires were administered before cochlear implantation and 1, 2, and 5 years after implant activation., Results: Hearing-specific HRQoL was significantly improved at 1 year after implant activation and did not significantly change thereafter. Generic HRQoL also showed significant improvement at 1 year after implant activation, but deteriorated to a clinically relevant degree thereafter., Conclusions: The significant improvement of hearing-specific HRQoL obtained from cochlear implantation was fully maintained for up to 5 years after implantation. Generic HRQoL of our CI patients, however, fluctuated over time. The decrease of generic HRQoL is supposed to reflect general age-associated health declines., Competing Interests: The authors disclose no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023, Otology & Neurotology, Inc.)