Mobile Application for Aural Rehabilitation
Learn more... Hearing loss and tinnitus remain the most common service-connected disabilities,
and may be caused by excessive noise exposure, as well as blast and impulse noise.
Soldiers who experience tinnitus or mild-to-moderate hearing loss tend to have difficulty
understanding speech-in-noise. While peripheral hearing loss can be addressed with
amplification through a hearing aid, significant rehabilitation is still required
to address loss of hearing processing ability. With our corporate partner (Creare)
and consulting team, we will design, implement, and test a mobile application (app)
for auditory training and tinnitus management specifically targeting the military
user. The app gives the users the option to manage their tinnitus and perform hearing
in noise training tasks. The tasks are designed to encourage regular use and increase
speech-in-noise recognition as well as verbal memory. This team is uniquely positioned
to develop this technology thanks to its extensive experience in developing mobile
technology for hearing and neuro-cognitive applications, as well as its active involvement
in the development of functional hearing tests to be used as part of new Army Hearing
Standards for Hearing Fitness for Duty.