Question
Is there research to support using frequency compression for a patient with a dead region?
Answer
There's little to no research specifically looking at that. It's one of those things that's commonly assumed, that people with a dead region are good candidates for frequency compression. While that's intuitive, there haven't been any studies designed to specifically address that. Such a study would have to compare people with similar hearing losses - some who have a dead region and some who do not - and fit both groups with hearing aids, both hearing aids with frequency compression and then hearing aids without frequency compression. The data would then have to be compared to determine if frequency compression benefits those with a dead region, how to optimally set the compression and so forth. At this point, using frequency compression for individuals with dead regions is certainly an option to keep in mind. However, we don't have enough information to make a general rule that it would be better than traditional amplification (up to 70-100% past the edge frequency of the dead region) or about how to optimally adjust the frequency compression in these cases compared to individuals without dead regions.
Benjamin W.Y. Hornsby, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor at Vanderbilt University. His current research interests include the perceptual abilities of persons with hearing loss and how they impact the design, implementation and efficacy of hearing aids and other auditory prosthetics.
Benjamin W.Y. Hornsby, PhD
Assistant Professor at Vanderbilt University
Benjamin W.Y. Hornsby, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor at Vanderbilt University. His current research interests include the perceptual abilities of persons with hearing loss and how they impact the design, implementation and efficacy of hearing aids and other auditory prosthetics.
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