Leeuw A R, Dreschler W A
Scand Audiol. 1987;16(1):31-6. doi: 10.3109/01050398709042152.
With respect to acoustical properties, in-the-ear (ITE) aids should give better understanding and directional hearing than behind-the-ear (BTE) aids. Also hearing-impaired subjects often prefer ITEs. A study was performed to assess objectively the improvement in speech understanding and directional hearing afforded by ITE aids versus BTEs. In 28 hearing-impaired subjects, who visited our Centre for a check-up of their ITEs, the following parameters were measured: (a) thresholds for third-octave bandpass noises between 0.25 and 4 kHz, (b) speech reception thresholds for short Dutch sentences in quiet and with background noise, (c) directional hearing. All three experiments were done binaurally with the subjects wearing their ITEs, BTEs, and no hearing aid. With the 2-cc coupler, the gain used by the subject was measured. The SRT values for the ITE were significantly lower than those for BTE. More gain at 2 and 4 kHz in the ITE proved to be a responsible factor for this improvement. Directional hearing was not improved by wearing an ITE. Large interindividual differences were found between functional gain and the 2-cc coupler measurements. The mean functional gain at 4 kHz for an ITE is higher than the gain measured in a 2-cc coupler. For a BTE, the functional gain at 2 and 4 kHz is lower than the 2-cc coupler gain.
关于声学特性，耳内式（ITE）助听器在言语理解和定向听力方面应比耳背式（BTE）助听器表现更好。而且听力受损患者通常更喜欢耳内式助听器。开展了一项研究，旨在客观评估耳内式助听器与耳背式助听器相比在言语理解和定向听力方面的改善情况。在28名前来我们中心检查耳内式助听器的听力受损患者中，测量了以下参数：（a）0.25至4千赫兹之间的1/3倍频程带通噪声阈值；（b）安静环境及有背景噪声时简短荷兰语句子的言语接受阈值；（c）定向听力。所有三项实验均为双耳测量，受试者分别佩戴耳内式助听器、耳背式助听器以及不佩戴助听器。使用2立方厘米耦合器，测量受试者使用的增益。耳内式助听器的言语接受阈值显著低于耳背式助听器。耳内式助听器在2千赫兹和4千赫兹处更多的增益被证明是导致这种改善的一个因素。佩戴耳内式助听器并未改善定向听力。在功能增益和2立方厘米耦合器测量之间发现了较大的个体差异。耳内式助听器在4千赫兹处的平均功能增益高于在2立方厘米耦合器中测量的增益。对于耳背式助听器，2千赫兹和4千赫兹处的功能增益低于2立方厘米耦合器增益。
