Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) Funded Research Projects

Current Research Projects

Innovations for Electrophysiologic Assessment of Infant Hearing
University of Arizona

Project Summary:
The long-term goal of this research is to apply knowledge of auditory system development to the clinical challenge of assessing hearing abilities in infants and young children. The translational and immediate goal of this research proposal is to develop and implement cost-effective, sensitive and specific tools for infant auditory assessment that can be used by pediatric audiologists.

The specific aims of this project are: 1) To develop and implement new stimulus, signal processing and response evaluation methods for obtaining frequency-specific estimates of hearing thresholds that can be used in non-sedated infants. 2) To compare the sensitivity, specificity and the time required to complete a test using the innovative methods developed for specific aim 1, to existing technologies including a) a new technology using adaptive "Kalman" filters and in-situ bioamplifiers that are purported to allow signal extraction in high levels of electromyographic and/or electroencephalic noise. This will be a test of the Vivosonic Integrity ABR system. b) Conventional tone burst stimuli and signal processing algorithms (linear filtering, amplitude-based artifact reject, signal averaging), such as those employed by the majority of instruments designed for infant ABR assessment.

 

Developmental Outcome Feasibility Study: Deaf or Hard of Hearing
University of Colorado

The goal for this project is to assess the feasibility of providing technical assistance to a minimum of five states to develop data management systems that are capable of collecting and reporting developmental outcomes of infants and children identified through a hearing screening program.

 

Language and Behavioral Outcomes of Children with Congenital Hearing Loss: Family Perspectives Study II                              
Women and Infants Hospital, Providence, Rhode Island

The goals for this project are:

• Conducting prospective comparisons of language, communication, behavior, and adaptive skills among (1) children identified early with minimal and mild hearing loss; (2) children identified early with moderate to profound bilateral hearing loss; and (3) typically hearing children at 36 and 48 months of age, and
• Identifying the child, family, and intervention characteristics that contribute to the best possible outcomes.

 

Past Research Projects

Describe the Nature of Hearing Loss and Its Effects on Families

Children With Early Hearing Loss and Existing Comorbidity Conditions in New Jersey

Boggs Center, New Jersey’s University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities and the NJ Department of Health and Senior Services, Early Identification and Monitoring Program

The goals for this project included:

• Identifying the prevalence of early hearing loss among children with existing comorbid conditions and who failed newborn or initial hearing screening;
• Identifying the effect of existing comorbid conditions on the follow-up of failed initial hearing screenings;
• Describing the experiences and needs of families of children with early hearing loss and comorbid conditions; and
• Determining the knowledge and experience of audiologists in evaluating and providing services to children with early hearing loss and existing comorbid conditions.

 

Impact of Hearing Loss and Comorbidity on Virginia’s Children and Families

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU)

The goal for this project was to develop better understanding of how having a congenital anomaly can affect the identification, evaluation, and treatment of hearing loss.

 

Epidemiology and Etiology of Hearing Loss in Newborns and Young Children

Utah Department of Health, Hawaii Department of Health, Rhode Island Department of Health

The goals for this project included:

• Describing the epidemiology of hearing loss among infants and young children with a permanent hearing loss of any type, and
• Documenting the etiology of hearing loss for all children identified before their third birthday.

 

Examination of Service History and Developmental Status of Children With Congenital Hearing Loss in Hawaii

State of Hawaii Department of Health, Family Health Services Division and Center for Disability Studies, University of Hawaii

The goals for this project included:

• Studying the effectiveness of early identification and intervention for children with hearing loss, and
• Describing the service history and developmental status of children with congenital hearing loss in Hawaii in terms of their long-term communication, cognitive, and social outcomes.

 

Family Interview and Family Perspectives

Rhode Island Department of Health, Women and Infants Hospital and the Rhode Island School for the Deaf, and consultants from Brown University

The goal for this project was to study the psycho-emotional effect of hearing screening results on families, including families with children with hearing loss, children who had a false-positive screen, and those who passed their initial screen.

 

Minimal Hearing Loss in Children: Speech and Language Development, and Effects of Early Intervention

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

The goals for this project included:

• Learning  more about current practices of clinical audiology programs across the United States that serve children with mild bilateral and unilateral hearing losses;
• Testing the effectiveness of hearing screening during preschool years to detect hearing loss (particularly mild loss) that was missed during the newborn period; and
• Learning more about the listening and communication abilities of infants and children with unilateral hearing loss.

 

Improve Structure and Quality of Programs Monitoring the Status of Children with Hearing Loss

Birth Certificate Orders: A Missed Opportunity for Hearing Screening Follow-Up

Utah State University

The goal for this project was to increase the percentage of children who completed needed follow-up diagnostic evaluation.

 

Deaf People and Health Measures: Is a Database Feasible?

University of Rochester, Department of Family Medicine

The goals for this project included:

• Facilitating participation in health services research by members of the Deaf community by fostering partnerships between health care, academic, and Deaf community organizations, and
• Exploring attitudes and beliefs regarding health services research among members of the Deaf community.

 

Efficacy of Two-Stage (OAE/AABR) Newborn Hearing Screening Protocol

University of Hawai’i, University of Hawai’i Center on Disability Studies

The goal for this project was to investigate the accuracy of the two-stage screening process in detecting infants with hearing loss.

 

Family Surveys

Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Health Care Program for Children with Special Needs and Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Bureau of Family and Community Health

The goals for this project included:

• Designing survey instruments to evaluate EHDI programs and to pilot them in two participating states, and
• Evaluating parent satisfaction with the Colorado and Massachusetts EHDI programs to facilitate improvement of parent satisfaction within state EHDI programs.

 

Health Utility Effects of Congenital Hearing Loss in Children

Arkansas Children’s Hospital and Arkansas University for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas

The goal of this project was to of assess methods for measuring the health utilities of children with hearing loss and their caregivers.

 

Intrauterine Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Infection and Hearing Loss in Young Children

Utah Department of Health, University of Utah School of Medicine, and University of Utah School of Medicine

The goal of this project was to investigate the feasibility of CMV screening.

 

Monitoring Risk Factors for Late-Onset Hearing Loss Among Children

University of Washington

The goals for this project included:

• Evaluating the efficacy of the Joint Committee on Infant Hearing (JCIH) 2000 recommended neonatal risk indicators for progressive or late-onset hearing loss, or both;
• Ensuring the accuracy of reporting of the JCIH 2000 neonatal risk indicators for progressive or late-onset hearing loss, or both, by hospitals by implementing quality control measures; and
• Evaluating the compliance with the JCIH 2000 recommendations for the monitoring and assessment of children by their primary care physicians and parents.

 

Remove Barriers to Obtaining Effective Services

Genetic Services for Congenital Hearing Loss

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

The goals of this project included:

• Determining the number of infants with congenital hearing loss identified through the North Carolina Newborn Hearing Screening Program who received a comprehensive genetic evaluation;
• Determining what factors limited or facilitated access to genetic services for infants with congenital hearing loss; and
• Assessing family experiences with and attitudes toward genetic services and their understanding of the genetic information they receive.

 

EHDI Program Cost Analyses

Utah Department of Health and Utah State University, the EI Research Institute and National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management

The goals for this project included:

• Determining the actual costs of screening, follow-up, and diagnosis of the Early Detection and Intervention (EHDI) programs in Utah;
• Assessing family experiences with newborn hearing screening programs; and
• Assessing the effect of false-positive screens.