At the HeAL 2024 conference, we were excited to offer a sneak peek of the new Aided Cortical module for the Interacoustics Eclipse, which makes it possible to objectively and reliably validate hearing aid or cochlear implant fitting in infants or patients with complex needs who cannot subjectively respond.
Clinicians can use the outcome of the test to counsel their patient’s family – offering much needed reassurance – and make informed adjustments to the hearing device settings.
The Aided Cortical module also includes the new ManU-IRU stimuli, developed by the Interacoustics Research Unit (IRU) in collaboration with Manchester University.
Related online training
The Interacoustics Academy have a couple of online opportunities to learn more about aided cortical testing.
Trends in Pediatrics
On day 2 of this year’s Trends in Pediatrics, Amanda Goodhew, BSc (Hons) MSc Audiology, and Michael East, MSc Clinical Science, discussed the importance of pediatric hearing aid validation and the options available for performing validation for different pediatric age ranges.
Their session is now available as an on-demand course, which you can access here: Validation in pediatric hearing aids
By the end of the course, you'll know:
- The different validation measures available*
- The difference between hearing aid verification and validation
- How to interpret the results of validation measures within the wider test battery
*Including a sneak peek of the Aided Cortical Module for the Interacoustics Eclipse.
Beyond the basics: Aided cortical testing
On February 13, 2025, Amanda Goodhew will host an eWorkshop on aided cortical testing. This eWorkshop will explore advanced topics relating to aided cortical testing, with a particular focus on the pediatric application of the test. This course will consider how to use the objective tools available to aid interpretation of aided cortical waveforms.
Case studies will be used to demonstrate how to formulate the most suitable testing strategy for each individual patient. Complex testing scenarios, such as cochlear implant patients, will be discussed with suggestions for alterations to test technique and strategy to support obtaining accurate results.
Learning objectives:
- Explain how to interpret aided cortical waveforms
- Determine an appropriate testing strategy for aided cortical testing based on the patient’s expected audibility
- Describe the options available for managing complex aided cortical testing
When? February 13, 10.00-11.30 / 16.00-17.30 CET (identical sessions to cater for time zone differences).
Related resources
[1] Visram, A. S., Stone, M. A., Purdy, S. C., Bell, S. L., Brooks, J., Bruce, I. A., Chesnaye, M. A., Dillon, H., Harte, J. M., Hudson, C. L., Laugesen, S., Morgan, R. E., O'Driscoll, M., Roberts, S. A., Roughley, A. J., Simpson, D., & Munro, K. J. (2023). Aided Cortical Auditory Evoked Potentials in Infants With Frequency-Specific Synthetic Speech Stimuli: Sensitivity, Repeatability, and Feasibility. Ear and hearing, 44(5), 1157–1172.
[2] Stone, M. A., Visram, A., Harte, J. M., & Munro, K. J. (2019). A Set of Time-and-Frequency-Localized Short-Duration Speech-Like Stimuli for Assessing Hearing-Aid Performance via Cortical Auditory-Evoked Potentials. Trends in hearing, 23, 2331216519885568.
