farzaneh fatahi

Due to the importance of reading reference books in learning and fully understanding academic concepts, this study aimed to assess the changes in the knowledge level of undergraduate audiology students at Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran, through book reading sessions.

In this developmental study, book reading sessions were designed and implemented based on the five-stage Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation (ADDIE) model. Three chapters from the Handbook of Clinical Audiology were studied over eight two-hour weekly sessions on the Skyroom platform. A knowledge assessment questionnaire was completed by students before and after each chapter. Additionally, students filled out a satisfaction form at the end of each session. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics and the Wilcoxon test.

Ten out of 22 fifth-semester Undergraduate Students in Audiology participated in the present study. A comparison of students' pre- and post-session scores using the Wilcoxon test indicated a significant difference in their scores for all three chapters studied: Chapter One (P=0.005), Chapter Two (P=0.004), and Chapter Three (P=0.004). The mean difference in students' knowledge scores (out of 5 points) before and after the reading sessions was 2.9, 3.2, and 3.5 for the first, second, and third chapters, respectively. The overall mean satisfaction score for the book reading sessions was 4.7±0.48 out of 5.

The present study demonstrated that book reading sessions significantly enhanced students' foundational knowledge of the topics covered in all three chapters of the audiology reference book. Additionally, students expressed a high level of satisfaction with these sessions. Therefore, this method can encourage students to read reference books.

Acceptance of tinnitus may influence the perceived intensity and the distress it causes. The Tinnitus Acceptance Questionnaire (TAQ) is a useful tool for assessing tinnitus acceptance. This study aimed to assess the validity and reliability of the Persian version of the TAQ (P-TAQ) and determine the correlation of its scores with psychoacoustic measures in patients with chronic tinnitus.

After translation and confirming face validity, 85 patients with chronic tinnitus completed the P-TAQ, along with the Persian versions of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI). To determine the reliability, the P-TAQ was completed by 30 patients after two weeks. Psychoacoustic parameters including pitch matching, loudness matching, and Minimum Masking Level (MML) were measured for all patients.

The P-TAQ had high face validity. The internal consistency was confirmed using Cronbach’s alpha (α=0.92). The interclass correlation coefficient (0.994) confirmed reliability. A strong negative correlation was found between the total P-TAQ score and total THI score (p<0.001, r=–0.788), and the scores of the HADS subscales of anxiety (p<0.001, r=–0.623) and depression (p<0.001, r=–0.728). The total P-TAQ score showed a weak negative correlation with tinnitus loudness (p=0.003, r=–0.322) and PTA of both ears (r=–0.223, p=0.040). There was no significant correlation between the total P-TAQ score and the factors of age, tinnitus duration, tinnitus pitch, or MML.

The P-TAQ has excellent validity and reliability. Therefore, it can be used to assess tinnitus acceptance among Persian-speaking patients with chronic tinnitus.

The Since future studies provide a structured opportunity to look into the future and examine the role of effective factors in the formation of the future, it is possible to create a favourable perspective for policymakers and decision-makers of the educational system in the direction of development. Therefore, the current research examined the context of Horizon 1405 with the aim of future research in the educational management of Technical and Vocational University and statistics of dimensions and patterns. The statistical population of this research in the qualitative part included all experts in the field of educational management, higher education, future researchers and heads of technical and vocational schools and colleges, which reached theoretical saturation by conducting 18 sample interviews. The quantitative part of this research included 918 participants, of which 271 participants were selected as a sample from the professors and staff of the 2nd Technical and Vocational University. In terms of data, the research method was mixed exploratory (qualitative-quantitative) and in terms of the type of study, thematic network analysis and cross-sectional survey were conducted. To collect data, an in-depth semi-structured interview tool and a researcher-made questionnaire with 105 measures were used. In the analysis of the research data, strong scenarios were extracted from the confirmatory factor analysis and impact analysis matrix using PLS (2023) and Mic-Mac software. The findings indicated that the organizational themes counted in three conceptual levels of content, structure and context arranged on the structure of the university including indicators such as "innovation and creativity", "adherence to the principle of merit", "advertisements and competitiveness", "private sector participation", "technological progress" and "community support" had the most direct impact to achieve the future research of educational management in the technical and vocational university.

Speech is a vital stimulus and the ultimate goal of hearing aid fitting to make the speech an audible signal. The purpose of this research was to investigate whether it is possible to track the threshold with speech phonemes and which of the two fitting methods of Desired Sensation Level version 5.0 (DSL v5.0) and National Acoustic Laboratories-Nonlinear 2 (NAL-NL2) provide better audibility for the phonemes.

In this cross-sectional study, the unaided thresholds of 18 normal-hearing children and the aided thresholds of 15 hearing-impaired children aged 5-8 years were evaluated with two types of stimuli. DSL v5.0 and NAL-NL2 methods were used for hearing aid fitting in hearing-impaired children.

There was a significant relationship between the unaided and aided thresholds of each phoneme and the warble tone threshold at the corresponding frequency (p<0.01), except for the phoneme /s/. The results showed a significant difference between the aided thresholds of each phoneme and the upper limit of the speech banana in the corresponding frequency for each method (Z=–4.99, p≤0.001).

The results showed that phonemes could be used to assess unaided and aided thresholds. In the first fit, both methods estimated the amount of amplification that caused the average aided thresholds for these six phonemes for moderate to severe hearing loss to be positioned within the speech banana range, except for the average aided thresholds for the /s/ phoneme in the NAL-NL2 method that was placed outside the range.

Hearing handicap, as one of the common health problems among older people, affects life activities. The Hearing Handicap Questionnaire (HHQ) is one of the scales that provide criteria for social withdrawal, participation restriction, and emotional distress. The present study aims to translate the HHQ into Persian and determine its psychometric properties.

After translation into Persian, the content validity of the questionnaire was determined based on the Lawashe’s method. Then, the Persian HHQ (P-HHQ) and the Persian Hearing Handicap Inventory for Elderly-Screening version (P-HHIE-S) were completed by 110 hearing-impaired seniors (49 females) over 60 years. The concurrent validity was determined by Spearman correlation test, and the discriminant validity was analyzed by Kruskal-Wallis test and independent t-test. The test-retest reliability was assessed in 47 subjects after two weeks by Spearman correlation test and paired t-test.

The P-HHQ had high face validity. The mean total score of P-HHQ was 1.89±1.05. It had a significant positive correlation with the score of P-HHIE-S (r=0.87) and pure tone average of the better ear (r=0.72). There was a significant difference between three groups of elderly with different degrees of hearing impairment (p<0.001). Cronbach’s α values were in the range of 0.94–0.97. There was a strong correlation between test and retest scores of P-HHQ (r=0.97) which indicates a high test-retest reliability.

The P-HHQ has acceptable validity and reliability and can be used as a suitable instrument to evaluate hearing handicap of the elderly in research studies and clinical settings.

Real-Ear Measurement (REM) enables proper fitting of the hearing aids to achieve the required level of amplification. This study aims to investigate the relationship between aural/oral performance and fit-to-target gain of hearing aids in children with moderate-to-profound hearing loss.

This cross-sectional study was conducted on 30 children with moderate-to-profound hearing loss aged 5–10 years. First, the parents’ evaluation of aural/oral performance of children (PEACH) questioanire was completed. Then, REM was performed using digital speech at 50, 65, 80, and 90 dB SPL at 250–8000 Hz to obtain the fit to the desired sensation level, version 5 (DSL v5) target gain.

A significant negative correlation was found between the total score of the PEACH (51.66) and the fit-to-target gain at high frequencies (r=–0.482, p=0.01). The maximum fit-to-target gain was 77.5 dB for 65 dB SPL at 6000 Hz. Most of the cases (75%) failed to come within ±5 dB of the target gain. There was a significant difference in the fit-to-target gain between low and high frequencies and between high frequencies with similar input levels.

A negative correlation between aural/oral performance of children with moderate-to-profound hearing loss and fit-to-target gain of their hearing aids may indicate that a low fit-to-target gain can improve their aural/oral performance. Regular use of REM is recommended in prescribing hearing aids to these children.

The Frequency Importance Function (FIF) is the main component of the Speech Intelligibility Index (SII) for a certain language. The FIF indicates the relative importance of each frequency band as it contributes to speech intelligibility. This study was conducted to determine the FIF for the Persian monosyllabic words and the list of Quick Speech in Noise (QSIN) in Persian language.

In this exploration study, 34 monolingual Persian-speaking subjects aged 25–40 years with normal hearing (17 males) were included. The FIF was evaluated for 100 monosyllabic words and 30 sentences of Persian QSIN under 180 different auditory conditions. The speech recognition scores were calculated and crossover frequencies were determined. Then, the relative transfer function was extracted and FIFs were calculated.

The findings showed that for monosyllabic word material, the FIF had three peaks at 178, 1787, and 4467 Hz and for Persian QSIN, the FIF had an initial peak at about 141 Hz followed by a peak at about 1800 Hz. According to the results, the frequency range 891–8913 Hz is very important for recognition of the Persian words. Moreover, the mean crossover frequencies for the Persian sentences was 1446 Hz.

For monosyllabic word material in the Persian language, the FIF at 708–1778 Hz is very important for recognition of the Persian monosyllabic words. For sentence material in the Persian Language, the FIF at 708–4467 Hz has the highest importance for recognition of Persian sentences.

 The quick speech in noise (Q-SIN) test shows how difficult it is to perceive speech in noise by determining signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) loss. The lists with high-frequency words have a better ability to identify SNR loss which have been created in Persian. Although a Persian version of Q-SIN with emphasis on high frequency is available، but there is no Q-SIN lists with high-frequency words; therefore,this study aims to develop new lists and the lists with high-frequency words for Q-SIN test and determine their equivalency in normal-hearing people which was condcuted in Tehran University of Medical Sciences.

 The sentences were first developed. Then, their content validity and face validity were determined. In this regard، 36 sentences were used to make new Q-SIN lists and 36 sentences were used to make Q-SIN lists with high-frequency words. Based on the Q-SIN test development criteria، six regular lists (lists 1-6) and six lists with high-frequency words (lists 7-12) were tested on 46 people (23 males and 23 females) aged 18-35 with normal hearing

 The content validity index for new and high-frequency words lists were 0. 74 and 0. 736، respectively. The equivalency test results showed that among the first 6 lists، the lists no. 1, 2, 3, and 4 were equal. Among the six lists with high-frequency words, the lists no. 7, 8, 10, 11 were equal. There was no gender differences between six regular lists and high-frequency lists (P>0.05). 

 The Q-SIN word lists with equivalency can be used for normal-hearing people in clinical practice.

The current research aimed to reconsider the requirements and characteristics of technical and vocational universities; the future research model in the field of educational management was examined to create a desirable future because in the qualitative development of educational systems, the need to use progressive educational management in the context of its abstract events is one of the structural principles. For this purpose, the qualitative method was simultaneously used with reviewing and analyzing some parallel future research documents based on a systematic understanding of events, trends, images and actions, with the approach of foundational data theory and the three stages of coding (open, central and selective). In this approach, interviews with 18 experts and specialists in the field were conducted and using purposive sampling (theoretical saturation after conducting 18 interviews) was carried out at the Technical and Vocational University. The structure of the interviews was semi-structured in depth, which was confirmed both in terms of formal validity and reliability. In this way, the present research was arranged prospectively and in terms of data, it was exploratory (qualitative) with analysis of the network of themes in a cross-sectional survey method.   Relying on the structural, content and contextual three-pronged model used in the research, the results showed that the future research model expected in the educational management of the Technical and Vocational University in the shadow of policies and strategies such as the value-oriented and market-oriented university model by adopting a support-oriented approach to innovation, while promoting the capacity of adaptability to efficiency, involved the reform of organizational affairs, educational needs assessment and employment orientation (marketing) in the structural field. In the conceptual and content field, the model university should include the reform of management affairs and reflect on organizational culture and human capital management. Finally, in the field of context, reforming the social and cultural perspective was prioritized in addition to strengthening the economic and technological roles.

Despite more affordable and advanced technologies for early detection of congenital hearing loss, unilateral hearing loss is the prevalent form of hearing loss affecting school-aged children. This study aimed to examine the impact of Words-in-Noise (WIN) training on speech perception of noise in children with unilateral hearing loss.

Thirteen children aged 8 to 12 years with unilateral hearing loss underwent a WIN training program in noise. The participants were tested before and after training on word identification in noise and cortical auditory evoked potentials.

A comparison of the mean signal-to-noise ratio 50% between pre- and post-training indicated that signal-to-noise ratio 50% score decreased after training sessions. WIN training reduced the latency in N1 and P2 waves in the Fz electrode and the N1 wave in the Pz electrode and increased the amplitude of the waves in the Fz and Pz electrodes. The observed data suggest that all participants’ performance improved on word identification in noise and some electrophysiological parameters. Cortical auditory evoked potentials components changes did not correlate with the WIN scores.

The Persian version of the WIN training improved speech perception ability in the presence of competitive noise in children with unilateral hearing loss. Therefore, this software solution can partially solve speech comprehension problems with noise in these children.

Buffalo model consists of four Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD) categories: decoding, tolerance-fading memory, organization, and integration. Integration is considered as the most complex category. The Dichotic Offset Measure (DOM) provides valuable information about the organization and integration problems. The present study aimed to develop the Persian version of the DOM (P-DOM) and evaluate its psychometric properties in normal-hearing children.

In this study, 25 normal-hearing children (13 girls) aged 7–12 years participated and were divided into six age groups. The face validity was determined based on the opinions of 15 experts, five children with CAPD, and five normal-hearing children. All children were tested with the Persian staggered spondaic word test, Persian phonemic synthesis test, and the Persian randomized dichotic digit test.

The results showed the high face validity of the P-DOM. No significant differences were observed between the scores of girls and boys (p=0.394 for the right non-competing, p=0.623 for the right competing, p=0.155 for the left competing, p=0.066 for the left noncompeting, p=0.174 for the total score, and p=0.701 for the reversals). Significant differences were observed in the main scores of P-DOM test among the age groups. The Spearman test showed a high test-retest reliability (r>0.69).

As a preliminary study it seems that the P-DOM has good validity and reliability to be used in normal-hearing children, but it needs further research with larger sample size.

The face-to-face education was suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic. In such situations, online education method was used. In this study, we aim to assess the quality of online education for theoretical courses of audiology from the perspective of audiology students at Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS) during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This comparative cross-sectional study was conducted on 77 audiology students of the School of Rehabilitation at TUMS. Data collection were a demographic form and two quality and satisfaction assessment questionnaires. Statistical analysis was performed in SPSS version 17.

There was a significant difference in all subscales of Shourcheh questionnaire among students with different educational stages (p<0.05), but there was no significant difference between age (except for social solidarity component) and gender (p>0.05) groups. The results of Kruskal-Wallis test showed a statistically significant difference in the quality scores among students with different educational stages (p=0.033), but there was no significant difference between age (p=0.300) and gender (p=0.630) groups.

The quality of online education for theoretical courses of audiology at TUMS is high from the perspective of PhD students, while it is low according to BSc and MSc students.

The present study evaluating the psychometric properties of the Persian version of the Phoneme Recognition Test (P-PRT) in normal subjects and cochlear implant (CI) users.

This study includes developing the Persian phoneme recognition test (PRT), determining its validity and reliability, and comparing the results of a control group versus CI users. The test reliability was examined through a test-retest with an approximately five-week interval. In the present survey, 363 subjects were investigated in three stages. The face validity evaluation stage was conducted on 40 subjects. The psychometric properties of the P-PRT were evaluated in 323 individuals (225 normal subjects and 98 CI users). The test-retest reliability was examined in all the 225 subjects in the control group and 40 CI users.

The results confirmed the face validity of the P-PRT. No significant differences were observed between the two genders in terms of performance in the P-PRT. Significant differences were observed between the control and CI groups. Evaluating the test-retest reliability suggested perfect reliability (r>0.9) in both groups. Significant differences were observed in the P-PRT between the adults and the 7-year-old subjects compared to other age groups.

The P-PRT can be used as a valid and reliable test for clinically evaluating phoneme recognition abilities and monitoring the rehabilitation progress

In a noisy environment, children struggle more than adults to understand speech. Various tests at different levels of cognition are available to evaluate children’s speech perception abilities in a noisy environment. The present study aimed at determining the reliability and equivalency of the Persian version of the quick speech-in-noise (P-Q-SIN) test in 7-12 years old school-aged children.

A total of 120 (60 girls) students with normal hearing were chosen from primary schools in district 2 of Kerman City, Iran. They were in five age groups ranging from 7 to 12 years (24 children per age group). Pure tone audiometry test was performed on the samples, then nine lists of P-Q-SIN of previous studies (Khalili et al. and Shayanmehr et al.) were administered on these participants. To obtain the test-retest reliability, three weeks later, the re-test was performed.

In the test-retest reliability, lists 1 and 4 of Khalili et al. and list 2 of Shayanmehr et al. were highly correlated (p<0.05). There were no significant differences between the scores of girls and boys (p>0.05). The participant’s performance improves as the age increases.

None of the lists of Shayanmehr et al. was reliable and equivalent. List 1 and 4 of Khalili et al. were reliable and equivalent; therefore, they can be used in clinical application for children in the age range of 7 to 12 years by considering the norm of signal-to-noise ratio loss.

Hearing loss in children leads to speech and language delays, low academic achievement, literacy delays, and psychosocial difficulties. Screening instrument for targeting educational risk (SIFTER) is one of the questionnaires used for evaluation of students’ performance in schools. The current study aims to develop Persian versions of primary and secondary SIFTER questionnaires and assessing their validity and reliability.

The main English versions of primary and secondary SIFTER questionnaires were translated into Persian named as P-SIFTER and secondary P-SIFTER. Then, their face validities were determined based on the options of related experts. The final versions were completed by 55 teachers of 150 students (64 primary and 86 secondary school students) divided into two groups of hearing-impaired (HI) and normal-hearing (NH) students. The testretest reliabilities were assessed in 117 students (64 primary and 53 secondary school students).

The results revealed that these questionnaires had high face validity. The content validity index for P-SIFTER and secondary P-SIFTER were obtained 0.94 and 0.92, respectively. The total score of P-SIFTER was 51.85 and 65.41 in HI and NH students, respectively. For the secondary P-SIFTER, it was 58.75 and 67.48, respectively. The test-retest reliability showed high correlation for NH and HI students between P-SIFTER and secondary P-SIFTER scores. The Cronbach’s alpha value for the overall score of P-SIFTER was 0.96 for both HI and NH students; for secondary P-SIFTER, the values were 0.94 and 0.93, respectively.

The Persian versions of primary and secondary SIFTER questionnaires have acceptable validity and reliability.

In many cochlear implant users, even after some time following cochlear implantation and adequate central auditory stimulation, certain hearing processing capabilities remain unresolved. These difficulties for cochlear implant users have a very similar manifestation to the decoding sub-category of the buffalo model of auditory processing which has a direct role in accurate phoneme processing. The present study was designed to investigate phoneme processing abilities in cochlear implant users and to evaluate the efficacy of phonemic rehabilitations in this population.
This was an interventional study with single subject design. Six prelingually deaf children aged between 8 and 11 years were recruited in the study. The performance of the cochlear implant users during three phases of baseline, intervention and follow-up was investigated. Phonemic Training and Phonemic Synthesis programs were administered and the outcomes were compared based on performance of the children in phoneme recognition test, phonemic synthesis test and the phoneme error analysis form.
All findings demonstrated that test scores improved in all six cases after intervention in comparison to the baseline (p< .00).
This study suggests that phoneme-based rehabilitation strategies improve the performance of deaf children with cochlear implants and should be used in postoperative therapy batteries.

The use of cochlear implants, due to technological limitations, causes problems in speech comprehension in the presence of noise. This study aimed to evaluate the speech-in-noise (SIN) comprehension with emphasis on high-frequency components between users of different bimodal adult.

This study was conducted on 33 adult participants with a mean age of 36 years using bimodal (cochlear implant in one ear and hearing aid in another ear: CI/HA) style of different companies. Quick SIN with emphasis on high-frequency components was performed on the participants using an audiometer, an amplifier, and one speaker.

Comparing the average percentage of correct answers from the word recognition test in the presence of noise in bimodal users showed that the Cochlear brand provides a better signal-to-noise (SNR) compare to other brands. Our result shows that bimodal users of Advance bionic and Med-El groups have better performance in speech recognition than other brands.

Bimodal users of Advance bionic and Med-El have better SNR loss than other brands. Besides, further studies on different ages can be helpful to make the right decision in this regard.

Tinnitus can affect daily life. The evaluation of the affected aspects of life quality is highly dependent on the subjects’perception. Self-report questionnaires have been used to identify these affected aspects. In the present study, the relationship between the Persian versions of tinnitus functional index (TFI-P) and tinnitus handicap inventory (THI-P) was investigated.

This is a comparative cross-sectional study conducted on 28 hearing-impaired and 27 normal hearing subjects with tinnitus in aged 18−60 years selected according to the inclusion criteria. Both groups completed the TFI-P and THI-P.

There was a significant and relatively strong relationship between the total scores of THI-P and TFI-P (r = 0.65) and also between the emotional subscale of TFI-P and the catastrophic subscale of THI-P (r = 0.73). Moreover, there was a moderate relationship between age factor and total score of TFI-P (r = −0.32), and between the cognitive subscale of TFI-P and age (r = 0.40). However, no significant difference was found between hearing-impaired and normal hearing subjects in terms of the total score and subscale scores of TFI-P. Furthermore, we found a significant difference between female and male subjects in terms of the relaxation subscale of TFI-P, and between dura tion of tinnitus and the quality of life subscale (r = 0.33).

The scores of the THI-P and TFI-P questionnaires are related to each other and they can be used for measuring the negative effects of tinnitus.

Teachers’ evaluation of aural/oral performance of children (TEACH) scale is one of the scales used for assessing hearing-impaired children’s behaviors in real-life environments, regardless of the degree of hearing loss. The aim of the present study was development, determining validity and reliabi lity of the Persian TEACH (P-TEACH) in normal-hearing and hearing-impaired children.

The TEACH scale was translated and cross-culturally adapted. After verifying the face validity of the scale, P-TEACH was performed on 40 normal-hearing and 42 hearing-impaired and its’ results were compared with the Persian parents' evaluation of aural/oral performance of children (P-PEACH). The test-retest reliability of P-TEACH was evaluated after two weeks on 10 subjects who were selected randomly.

Content validity index for item 3 was 0.8 and for others were 1. P-TEACH scores showed a significant difference between two groups (p < 0.001). There was a strong correlation between P-TEACH and P-PEACH scores (r = 0.59 to 0.87; p < 0.05). Cronbach's α for P-TEACH was 0.75 -0.98 for both groups. There was a significant correlation between children’s age and total score of P-TEACH in normal-hearing and hearing-impaired children (r = 0.40 and 0.41 respectively; p ≤ 0.001). There was a significant correlation between test and retest of P-TEACH (r = 0.87 to 0.97; < 0.001).

P-TEACH is a well-adapted valid and reliable tool for functional evaluation of the auditory performance of hearing-impaired children. The study showed that the P-TEACH has a strong agreement with the P-PEACH.

Attitudes and aptitudes play an important role in the acceptance of hearing aids. We can objectively and subjectively examine the attitude of individuals toward hearing loss and hearing aids, using Attitudes towards Loss of Hearing Questionnaire (ALHQ). The aim of this study was to examine the effect of demographic factors on the responses of individuals to ALHQ and to compare the scores of the questionnaire between hearing aid users and hearing aid non-users.
This study was performed on 100 hearing-impaired participants. They were divided into hearing aid users and non-users groups. After hearing assessments, the participants were asked to complete the questionnaire; then, the responses of the two groups were compared and the effects of demographic factors on the responses were examined.
The questionnaire scores in the hearing aid non-users were higher than the hearing aid users. The results showed a reverse correlation between the history of hearing aid usage and the scores of the questionnaire. There was also a reverse correlation between the mean score of pure tone thresholds in the left ear with the scores of the questionnaire in the hearing aid users. Furthermore, there was a significant correlation between the type of hearing aid and the scores of the questionnaire.
Hearing aid non-users have a more negative attitude toward hearing aids and are more likely to deny their hearing loss compared to hearing aid users.