Question
Is there any possibility of using ABR results to predict that an elderly person would prefer monaural amplification rather than binaural?
Answer
This is an interesting question which, as far as I know, has not been studied. Since the "preference" of the hearing aid user is in question, I'm not sure that the ABR would be the right tool. My choice would be to consider using a late cortical response that provides an indication of cognitive function (e.g., the P-300) before the ABR.
John A. Ferraro, PhD, is currently the Chairman and Professor of the Hearing and Speech Department at the University of Kansas Medical Center. He has also served as the Co-Director of the University of Kansas Intercampus Program in Communicative Disorders since 1983. Dr. Ferraro has authored over 70 publications, including the 1997 textbook Laboratory Exercises in Auditory Evoked Potentials.
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