Exam Preview

Perception of Own Voice Wearing Hearing Aids: Why "Natural" is the New Normal

---

1.  Why does our own voice sound so abnormal when we hear it from a recording? The overall spectrum of the sound reaching the microphone of the recording device is different from that which reaches our eardrums when we talk. We always think we sound better than we really do We're not used to hearing our own voice through recordings Sound recordings devices are inferior to our natural hearing

2.  Which of the following statement is false? When fitted with hearing aids, wearer's perception of own voice usually improves. MarkeTrak study shows that only 58% of respondents with hearing aids gave the rating of "satisfied" or "very satisfied" for the sound of their own voice. When fitted with hearing aids, wearer's perception of own voice usually worsens. Hearing aids are typically not programmed to make the patient's own voice sound natural

3.  How does the Signia Nx Own Voice Processing work? When OVP is activated, the wearer's own voice is detected and processed separately, while external sounds remain unaffected. Whenever the patient is speaking, through bilateral data sharing, processing and analysis, the hearing aids identify this signal, and apply a dedicated setting, which differs from when only external sounds are present. It instantly changes the hearing aid gain and output whenever the person talks All of the above

4.  How does OVP ensure the accuracy in the detection of the wearer's own voice? During the initial training, the wearer's voice is recorded and sampled. Afterwards the wearer's speech is compared against the recorded sample. During an initial training, the hearing aids "scan" the acoustic path of their own placement, relative to the location of the sound source. The patient"s head shape and mouth placement relative to the hearing aids is part of the sculpturing to create an accurate detection. The hearing aids become more accurate in detecting the wearer's own voice over time. During an initial training, the hearing aids "scan" the spectral pattern of the wearer's own voice.

5.  What fitting conditions were compared and evaluated in the study described? Closed and open fittings Signia versus competitor products without OVP NAL-NL2 fittings versus the Signia proprietary fitting, Nx-fit All of the above

6.  Which of the following was a study finding for NAL-NL2 fittings? When OVP is activated, there are no negative ratings for naturalness, and only 14% gave the rating of "neutral". A large percent of hearing aid users rated their own voice as natural even without OVP activated. When OVP is activated, there are no positive ratings for naturalness, and only 14% gave the rating of "neutral". A few participants gave a higher rating for OVP-On compared to OVP-Off.

7.  Which of the following statements regarding Signia Nx-Fit is false? Nx-fit is a prescriptive algorithm developed to optimize the performance of Signia instruments. Without OVP activated, study participants judged their own voice to sound more natural with Nx-Fit than when they were fitted with the NAL-NL2. With OVP activated, clinicians can obtain higher level of own-voice naturalness with closed fittings with Nx-Fit than NAL-NL2. With OVP activated, clinicians can obtain the same high level of own-voice naturalness with closed fittings with Nx-Fit as with NAL-NL2.

8.  Which of the following is a reason to use OVP for open fittings? Patients with open fittings report issues with own voice as much as those with closed fittings. While patients with open fittings are less likely to report "hollowness", they often find their amplified voice to be sharp, shrill, hissy, etc. OVP is designed only for open fittings. Open fittings do not need OVP because patients don’t have issues with their own voice when fitted open.

9.  Does OVP also help with the occlusion effect? Yes, because occlusion is the only reason which causes own voice issues. Yes, because OVP specifically solves the occlusion effect. No, because the occlusion effect is not related to the signal going through the hearing aid or to amplification provided by the hearing aid No, there is no known solution for the occlusion effect.

10.  Why is OVP a fitting solution for nearly all patients? It is very unusual for a patient to rate OVP-On as sounding less natural than OVP-Off. This study shows that OVP is appropriate for both open and closed fittings, and for different fitting rationales. Even when the patient says their own voice sounds "okay", implementing OVP might change that okay to excellent. All of the above