Basic issues that may be useful in interpreting the results of multi-frequency tympanometry (MFT) are discussed in the present paper. MFT is a useful tool that is used to detect subtle changes (changes in the resonance characteristics) in the middle-inner ear vibration system. However, there are certain limitations in the diagnosis based on MFT measurement alone. It is important to understand the characteristics as well as the limitations of MFT, in order to make a comprehensive diagnosis of middle/inner ear pathologies together with other findings.

　　The Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI), a questionnaire to determine the severity of distress from tinnitus, is also used for evaluation of the efficacy of treatment of tinnitus. We performed translation and back translation of the original English version of THI and analyzed the reliability and validity of the revised version of THI. In this study, 98 subjects, including patients with the subjective complaint of tinnitus and normal subjects without tinnitus were enrolled from 6 hospitals. We confirmed the reliability of the revised THI based on the high values of the Cronbach's α coefficient and the test-retest correlations. We also confirmed the validity of the revised THI based on the correlation of the results with those of the previous version of THI, HADS (a questionnaire of anxiety and depression) and SF-36 (QOL questionnaire). Based on the results, we concluded that the revised version of THI can be used as a valid and reliable questionnaire. However, the reproducibility of questions 13 and 16 could not be confirmed.

　　Auditory processing disorder (APD) is associated with difficulties in listening in daily life, even if the pure-tone hearing ability is normal. Because children with APD can develop secondary difficulties in learning and interpersonal relationships, early detection of APD is important. However, the definition, evaluation and support for APD have not yet been established in Japan. In this study, we focused on the “listening in noise deficit,” which is one of the problems in patients with APD and attempted to develop a “Listening in Noise Deficit Screening: LINDS” for early detection of the problem. Analysis of the correct answer rate of four types of sound sources having different degrees of noise in 87 children from the general population confirmed that as the noise increased, the correct answer rate decreased significantly, and the variation increased. The cutoff points set by the analysis in children from the general population were also confirmed to be appropriate in the two clinical cases. In addition, the test can be implemented in a large number of children within a short period of time. Based on the above, we suggest that LINDS is useful as a screening test for listening in noise deficit that cannot be capture by the pure-tone audiometry test.

Introduction: To study improvement of life satisfaction and social activity outcomes in elderly patients with cochlear implants.

Methods: A mail survey was conducted using an anonymous self-reported questionnaire of cochlear implantation surgery facilities and people with hearing disabilities in Japan.

Result: A total of 75 cochlear implant users aged 65 years old or over. Subjects reported postoperative hearing improvement with about 80% of daily conversations with familiar people (speech-language-hearing therapist and family members). In regard to improvement in life satisfaction, more than half of the users reported improvement in their health views and life satisfaction. In regard to improvement in social activity outcomes, the scores for personal activities, such as hobbies and other activities, and friend visits, were higher after the implant surgery than before.

Conclusion: This study was conducted to elucidate the efficacy of cochlear implants in elderly hearing-impaired individuals. The results indicate that the security of hearing afforded by cochlear implants improves the quality of life, as well as the daily conversations with familiar people, of elderly individuals, and helps the elderly to participate positively in the community.

　　Headphones equipped with an evoked potential measuring device manufactured by Nihon Kohden Co., Ltd. conformed initially to IEC 60318-3, and have changed to IEC 60318-1-compliant headphones since 2012. The two types of headphones show a sound difference in clinical use. We investigated the differences in the frequency responses and results of auditory brainstem response (ABR) and vestibular-evoked myogenic potential (VEMP) obtained using the two types of headphones. The sensitivity of the IEC 60318-1-compliant headphones was higher than that of the IEC 60318-3-compliant headphones in the frequency range of ≤ 1kHz, and the distortion of the IEC 60318-1-compliant headphones was larger than that of the IEC 60318-3-compliant headphones in the frequency range of 100Hz to 3kHz. On the other hand, the transient response characteristic of the IEC 60318-3-compliant headphones was better than that of the IEC 60318-1-compliant headphones. There was a significant difference in the 500-Hz ABR wave I latency between the two types of headphones. The VEMP amplitude was significantly smaller with the IEC 60318-1-compliant headphones than with the IEC 60318-3-compliant headphones. The sound stimulation during VEMP testing with the IEC 60318-1-compliant headphones was insufficient, therefore, we believe that we should continue using the IEC 60318-3-compliant headphones or consider using the insertion-type earphones.