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Biomedical subjects

W F Rintelmann

Publications and source records attributed to W F Rintelmann.

10 recordsLinked to original sources

Audiometric test criteria in the detection of cisplatin ototoxicity.

Audiometric criteria establishing the ototoxic effects of cisplatin (CDDP) vary widely in the literature. Normal test-retest variability in audiometric thresholds resulting from serial audiometry is likely a confounding variable in the over-reporting of ototoxic effects. This study investigated the variability of serial audiometry for a group of 21 head and neck cancer patients receiving no known ototoxic drugs in an effort to establish guidelines for determining reasonable audiometric criteria for CDDP therapy. Comparison of this group to a similar group of 31 patients receiving high dose (100+ mg/m2) bolus administration of CDDP suggests that audiometric shift criteria developed from Receiver Operating Characteristic analysis and employing multiple frequency averaging above 1000 Hz may lead to more universally accepted audiometric criteria for ototoxicity, which should in turn lead to more reliable reports of disease incidence.

Acoustic Stimulation

The "plateau effect" of cis-platinum-induced hearing loss.

Cis-platinum-induced hearing loss has been reported to exhibit a "plateau effect" over the 2 to 8 kHz range. We examined serial audiometry data from 27 patients treated with cis-platinum. Although a plateau at 60 to 70 dB HL often occurred, this hearing loss was clearly exceeded in a number of patients. We identified 14 patients with sufficient cis-platinum-induced sensorineural hearing loss to evaluate a plateau limit to hearing loss over the 4 to 8 kHz range. Half of these 14 patients had hearing losses that exceeded the plateau level. More severe 4 to 8 kHz hearing losses did not correlate with number of treatments, cumulative dosages of cis-platinum, pre-existing hearing loss, radiation therapy, other chemotherapeutic agents, or even hearing losses below 4 kHz. Although cis-platinum therapy can induce a plateau of moderate hearing impairment for some patients over the 4 to 8 kHz range, a significant proportion of patients will experience more severe hearing impairment in this range, even after only one or two courses of cis-platinum.

Acoustics

Pseudohypacusis.

This article provides the basis for the techniques and interpretation of audiologic tests useful in evaluation of the patient with pseudohypacusis. Differences between the childhood and adult forms of the problem are discussed. The indications for currently popular conventional and special tests are presented. These include both behavioral and electrophysiologic measures for assessing auditory function.

Audiometry

Frequency selectivity in bird and man: a comparison among critical ratios, critical bands and psychophysical tuning curves.

The relative frequency selectivity of the internal auditory filters, as measured by critical bands or critical ratios, and psychophysical tuning curves, was compared in an avian species (parakeet) and human listeners. The results indicate that the critical band predicts the frequency selectivity of psychophysical tuning curves and vice versa. These findings suggest that there are similar mechanisms which contribute to the frequency selectivity measured by these two procedures and that these mechanisms operate in both the human and avian ear.

Adult

Central auditory imperception.

The development of clinically applicable techniques for the evaluation of hearing impairment caused by lesions of the central auditory pathways has increased clinical interest in the anatomy and physiology of these pathways. A conceptualization of present understanding of the anatomy and physiology of the central auditory pathways is presented. Clinical tests based on reduction of redundancy of the speech message, degradation of speech and binaural interations are presented. Specifically performance-intensity functions, filtered speech tests, competing message tests and time-compressed speech tests are presented with the emphasis on our experience with time-compressed speech tests. With proper use of these tests not only can central auditory impairments by detected, but brain stem lesions can be distinguished from cortical lesions.

Animals

Articulation functions and test-retest performance of normal-hearing children on three speech discrimination tests: WIPI, PBK-50, and NV Auditory Test No. 6.

This study investigates the performance of normal-hearing children on three types of speech discrimination tasks: (1) a multiple-choice, closed-message set test requiring no verbal response, the WIPI; (2) an open-message set test for adults, Northwestern University Aue talker were administrated to 60 normal-hearing children, divided qually between the ages three-and-one-half, five-and-one-half, seven-and-one-half, nine-and-one-half, and 11-and-one-half years. The number of tests and sensations levels administered varied by age. The WIPI test yielded the highest discrimination scores, the PBK-50 was intermediate, and the NU-6 was most difficult. A small number of items on the WIPI test accounted for a large percentage of the errors. For three-and-one-half years olds, the WIPI appears to be the instrument of choice. For children aged five-and-one-half years, both the WIPI and the PBK-50 appear to be appropriate clinical tools. Children aged seven-and-one-half scored similar to children aged nine-and-one-half on the WIPI and to children aged nine-and-one-half and 11 and-one-half on the PBK-50 and NU-6. Test-retest differences were small on all three tests.

Audiometry

Performance of noise-induced hearing-impaired listeners on time-compressed consonant-nucleus-consonant monosyllables.

The effects of time compression on the intelligibility of consonant-nucleus-consonant (CNC) monosyllables was investigated by presenting six conditions of a time-compressed versions of the Northwestern University Auditory Test no. 6; at four sensation levels, to nine subjects with noise-induced sensorineural hearing impairments. Results indicated that intelligibility gradually decreased as the ratio of time compression increased, with a dramatic breakdown at the highest ratio of time compression. A typical roll-over phenomenon was also found. Results are related to data on normal listeners.

Adult

Comparison of pure-tone, warble-tone and narrow-band noise thresholds of young normal-hearing children.

Pure-tone, warble-tone, and narrow-band noise thresholds were compared in terms of sensitivity and clinical test-retest reliability. Eighty normal-hearing young children, equally divided in four discrete age levels (3 1/2, 4 1/2, 5 1/2, and 6 1/2 years) were examined. Thresholds were ranked from most to least sensitive as follows: warble-tone, pure-tone, and narrow-band noise. Test-retest reliability was equivalent for all three stimuli. Clinical implications are discussed.

Acoustic Stimulation

The influence of audiometric configuration on pure-tone, warble-tone and narrow-band noise thresholds of adults with sensorineural hearing losses.

Thresholds measurements for pure tones, warble tones, and narrow-band noise were compared for adult sensorineural hearing-impaired subjects with gradual and sharp audiometric configurations. Results demonstrated that audiometric configuration does not significantly affect the relationship between pure tones and warble tones but does affect the relationship between pure tones and narrow-band noise. Differences were most apparent at the higher frequencies. Clinical implications are discussed.

Acoustic Stimulation

Perception of time-compressed consonant-nucleus-consonant monosyllables by non-native speaker/listeners of English.

Recent investigations of time-altered speech have dealt with the effect of time compression and sensation level on intelligibility scores of native speaker/listeners of English. In the present investigation, the intelligibility of time-compressed consonant-nucleus-consonant monosyllables was studied using English speaker/listeners whose native languages are Spanish or Indo-Dravidian. Results supported earlier findings in that intelligibility decreased as a function of increasing percentage of time compression and decreasing sensation level. This effect was more prominent for the Indo-Dravidian than for Spanish speaker/listeners. The Spanish group of subjects showed generally lower difference scores than did the Indo-Dravidian group when compared to native English speaker/listeners.

Acoustic Stimulation