Navy
Presentations from the Navy included the following:
DoD STS Rates and Trends As Reported From The Defense Occupational Environmental Health Readiness System Data Repository
LT Joel Bealer
In 2002, the Defense Occupational Environmental Health Readiness System Data Repository (DOEHRS DR) came online. Hundreds of thousands of audiometric records have been uploaded to the DOEHRS-DR, providing unique access for objective analysis of hearing loss trends throughout the Department of Defense. This access enables a comprehensive look at these trends on an unparalleled scale. The DOEHRS-DR offers canned reports on rates of significant threshold shift (STS) in a variety of areas. Because of these reports, the Department of Defense can now evaluate and trend STS data not only at the corporate level, but also at the command level, by job occupation, and by paygrade. This presentation will focus on these areas to provide insight into the status of hearing loss for the military and how to utilize the information to provide focal points for intervention.
Air Force
Presentations from Air Force members include the following:
Progress on Auditory Optimization Programs for Human Effectiveness
John Allan Hall
For the past several years researchers at the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Human Effectiveness Directorate have presented science and technology portfolios targeting new systems revolutionizing audio effectives in aerospace operations. Through these efforts many designs have matured and are now in production or will soon be in production. This briefing will update the attendees on the status of these systems and highlight the critical data points along the development path. These systems include the Digital Terminal Attack Communications (DTAC) System, the Attenuation Custom Communications Earpiece System (ACCESâ„¢), and the QuietCommTM Digital ANR Earplug. These systems have been briefed to the Department of Defense Research and Engineering, the Joint Aeronautical Commanders Advisory Board, and are critical paths under Defense Technology Objective HS-33. Performance and test experiences will be shared, some of which have included the most advanced military aircraft as well as manned space flight.
Broadband ANR Control Strategies to Improve A-Weighted Reduction
John Allan Hall
Traditional Active Noise Reduction (ANR) technologies have been limited to active control of frequencies below 750 Hz. These strategies are ideal for tracked vehicle, rotary wing and/or fixed wing turbo-prop noise environments. But these legacy technologies may short of sufficient A-weighted reduction in many high level broad spectral noise situations typical in fast attack jets. Recent USAF sponsored R&D, however has made broadband ANR in the ear canal a reality. Broadband ANR offers significant benefit in targeting overall dBA reduction for environments with significant acoustic energy above 1000 Hz.
Assessment Techniques for Spatial Hearing Ability
Maj Stephen Steele
The ability to localize and segregate sound sources depends on innate functioning of the binaural hearing system. Peripheral and central functions of the auditory nervous system contribute to overall spatial hearing function. Three techniques are described that measure one’s ability to localize and attend to multiple sounds. One is a head pointing task to measure localization acuity in azimuth. A second is an exocentric sphere pointing task to measure localization performance in azimuth and elevation. A third task is used to measure one’s ability to identify words in the presence of a spatially separated speech masking sound. Behavioral data has been collected on normal hearing and hearing impaired individuals using these three techniques. With the head pointing technique, good localizers (81%) were measured to have a median acuity of 6 degrees, moderate localizers (17%) around 12 degrees, and poor localizers (2%) above 15 degrees of angular error. The sphere pointing task is more sensitive than the head pointing task to the degrading effects of hearing loss. Spatial separation greatly improved speech intelligibility for normal and hearing impaired listeners. The multiple talker task involved spatial hearing and cognitive abilities and is perhaps the most relevant to real world tasks.
dB Towers Aircraft Acoustic Instrumentation Range
Col David B. Wirth
Aircraft flyover noise is the major environmental issue recognized by communities near US military aircraft installations and ranges. Accurate aircraft noise footprints are essential to basing and operations decisions allowing military training and operational flights while attempting to mitigate effects for noise sensitive community areas. AFRL/HE is leading the development and establishment of an international aircraft flyover noise acoustic instrumentation range to significantly improve the fidelity and accuracy of the aircraft noise measurements and resulting noise footprints. The dB Towers aircraft acoustic instrumentation range employs a 3-dimensional array of microphones to capture the complete noise signature of an airplane or helicopter in flight. The approximately 60 microphones are arranged on two 1200–foot towers, along the centerline of a runway and perpendicular to the flight path. This range will be used by USAF, Army, and Navy organizations for significantly improving the accuracy of aircraft noise data and the resulting noise footprints. Local commanders will also be able to use the data to help make decisions on the most effective community noise management strategies.
Mission Possible: A Humanitarian Mission to El Salvador
Capt Jeffrey Graley
An overview of the successes and challenges met during the September 2004 Otology/Audiology humanitarian mission to Chalatenango, El Salvador. Simple cultural differences can lead to very interesting hearing aid fittings, complicating an often already difficult situation. Audiometric testing is also a significant challenge in these less than ideal environments. With all of these challenges being made worthwhile by the uniquely satisfying ability to change someone’s life with the professional skills we have acquired.
An Investigation of the Differences in Perceived Hearing Disability Between Hearing Aid Candidates and Their Significant Others Using the Client-Oriented Scale of Improvement and the Self-Assessment of Communication/Significant Other Assessment of Communication
1Lt April Myers, Au.D.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of hearing aid candidates and their significant others regarding perceived hearing disability using the Client Oriented Scale of Improvement and the Self-Assessment of Communication/Significant Other Assessment of Communication to see if there are, in fact, remarkable differences in their responses. Forty-two subjects (21 couples) who met the inclusion criteria were given two questionnaires: (1) the COSI, and (2) the SAC/SOAC. The results of the Pearson Correlation suggest that there was a significant difference in perceived hearing disability between each couple using the SAC/SOAC; however there were minimal differences in their responses to the COSI. Results of the COSI may have been affected due to the subjective nature of that questionnaire.
Case Report On Bilateral Sudden Onset Hearing Loss: Use Of Cochlear Implant And Hearing Aids. Evidence Based Implications For Patient Management And Occupational Function
Col Ben Sierra
The purpose of this presentation is to present a summary and discussion of the author’s CMU Distance Learning AuD Program Capstone Project. The case study presents an analysis on a 37-year-old male, active duty United States Air Force (USAF) member of 17 years with a history of bilateral sequential sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSHL). He was seen at Wilford Hall Medical Center (WHMC), in San Antonio, Texas for evaluation and treatment and subsequently was rehabilitated by mean of a cochlear implant for his left ear and hearing aid for this right ear. The presentation will present a literature review of the patho-physiology, medical treatment options, psychosocial aspects, and intervention strategies of SSHL. It will be followed by a review of the patient’s case history, the assessment results obtained at WHMC and the rationale for cochlear implantation. The presentation will close with a discussion of employment implications, and conclusions.
Status Report WHMC Audiology Services-Now and What’s Next
Col Ben Sierra
The purpose of this presentation is to present a summary and discussion of the current developments, procedures, clinical trials and statistics of what’s happening at WHMC. Short term and long terms goals will be discussed. Bring your thinking caps and ask questions.