Success in treatment with platinum-based chemotherapy against different types of cancer tumors is limited by side-effects such as hearing loss which can have a large impact on the individual`s quality of life. It is of great importance to continue with studies that address this complex of problems.Objective: The aim of this literature review is to investigate the impact of platinum-based chemotherapy on hearing in children and adolescents treated for different types of cancer.Method: A descriptive review of literature was made based on sources from 15 different studies on the impact of platinum-based chemotherapy on hearing in the target group.Results: The survey of the studies shows that platinum-based chemotherapy causes incidence of hearing loss by differing degree in the target group. Dosage of a platinum-based substance appeared to be the most significant factor. Treatment with both cisplatin and carboplatin was more ototoxic than treatment with only one of these. Greater risk for hearing loss was to a higher degree observed in younger children.

Andelen  äldre  i Sverige  ökar. Hos normalhörande  äldre människor  sker  det  en  förändring  i taluppfattningen som är en del av det naturliga åldrandet. Syftet med denna studie är att belysa det  biologiska  åldrandets  påverkan  på  den  åldrande  individens  taluppfattningsförmåga.  En systematisk  litteraturstudie  har  använts  som  metod.  Resultatet  från  övervägande  delen  av använda  artiklar  i  denna  studie  visar  att  normalhörande  äldre  har  sämre  taluppfattning  än normalhörande  yngre.  Den  försämrade  taluppfattningen  är  enligt  artiklarna  ett  resultat  av förändringar i det centrala hörselsystemet. Artiklarna pekar på att dessa förändringar beror på förändrad  lateralisering,  förlångsammad  kodning  av  talsignalen, minskad  nervaktivitet  eller förtvinade nerver i hörselkortex..

The purpose was to study what significance communication has for the psychosocial health of elderly deaf people who live in old peoples homes. I also explored how communication works between the staff.- How do the staff feel the communication works between members of the staff and between the staff and the residents?- How do the staffs think that the staffs' knowledge of the culture of the deaf community and sign language affects the psychological health of the residents?- What changes have the staff noticed in the residents since they moved to the ward?In order to accomplish study this area I have used semi-structured qualitative interviews and observations.The main conclusion of this paper was that the possibility to communicate in ones own language was fundamental for the psychosocial health of the residents. The people I interviewed expressed that communication between the residents and the staff worked well, but communication was a problem between the staff members. Knowledge of the culture of the deaf and sign language, within the staff, had a positive influence on the psychosocial health of the residents.

While reading in deaf children has been the object of a number of studies, the reading abilitiesof children with mild and moderate hearing impairment and their relation to cognitiveprocessing have not received very much attention. Predictive factors of reading ability inhearing children are well known, with phonological and working memory abilities beingnecessary prerequisites for reading development. Existing studies suggest, however, thatcertain hearing-impaired children achieve a reading level comparable to that of hearingchildren in spite of impaired phonological abilities. In the present study, reading abilities anda range of cognitive processing abilities were measured in a group of hearing-impairedchildren and compared with hearing controls in equivalent school grades. Comparisons weremade at group and school-grade level, and the cognitive profile of hearing-impaired childrenat level with controls (those being within one standard deviation) was discussed.

This study investigated whether in-situ audiometry, delivered via hearing aids, is a better option as a basis forprescribing hearing aid amplification, compared to conventional audiometry. By examining the real ear insertgain (REIG) in 29 ears (18 subjects), that had been fitted with a hearing aid programmed using both conventionalaudiometry and in-situ audiometry, the study looked at whether in-situ audiometry based prescription is closer tothe NAL NL1's fitting target than audiogram based prescription. The hearing aid Siemens Pure 7mi with speakerunit M was used on all participants. The results showed how in-situ audiometry based gain at certain frequenciesis more consistent with the target curve, especially at 1000, 1500, 2000 and 4000 Hz. It was not establishedwhether the findings of the study were statistically significant.

Title: Elderly deaf - The significance of an own senior housing. A qualitative interview studyon how special senior housing affects the experience of well-being of elderly deaf [translated title]The purpose of the study was to examine how elderly deaf people experience living in aspecial senior housing, which is the country?s first and only housing with sign language fordeaf and deafblind in the region of Stockholm. The focus was to study how this seniorhousing affected the well-being of the residents and their experience of this accommodation.The study was based on a qualitative method with semi-structured interviews. Interviews wereconducted with four residents who have lived in the senior housing for deaf and deafblindpeople since it opened in spring 2013.

AbstractThe purpose of this paper was to examine preschool teacher?s thoughts about using Manual Signs as Alternative and Augmentative Communication as an aid for children in/with communication disabilities. The method I?ve used in the survey is qualitative interview.The three interviewed preschool teachers use Manual Signs foremost for those children who have a poorly developed spoken language. Manual Signs are used as a complement to the spoken language and the preschool teachers use it to increase the children?s power of concentration.

The purpose of the paper is to examine how teachers in preschool is working with language stimulation for the prevention of difficulties in reading and writing before school starts. The method that was used to illuminate the problem is a qualitative interview. A specialpedagog and six preschool teacher, which is specifically focused on language stimulation in the work with children, have been included in the study. The results indicated that preschool teacher are working a lot with language stimulation. They work mostly with children throughout the group, to encourage and provide children with the tools to be able to communicate with each other and staff.

Background: Diabetes mellitus is one of today's major public health problems, affecting up to 347 million people worldwide. Several studies have shown a correlation between hearing loss and diabetes mellitus. However, it is still unclear whether this correlation differs between type 1-diabetes and type 2-diabetes.Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate whether there is any difference in prevalence of hearing loss in type 1-diabetics versus type 2-diabetics.Method: A meta-analysis was performed based on ten studies that were identified through the database PubMed and through manual searching of references. Odds ratios for the risk of developing hearing loss were calculated in each study. Pooled odds ratios were calculated using a random effects model.Results: Pooled odds ratios indicates that both type 1-diabetics and type 2-diabetics are more likely to develope hearing loss compared to non-diabetic controls.

A cochlear implant (CI) is a hearing device that makes it possible for individuals who are deaf or has a severe hearing impairment to receive auditory information and develop spoken language. The pragmatic ability may be affected. In short, pragmatics may be described as the study of language use in social contexts. Pragmatic ability can be seen as the result of the individual?s behavior as well as the underlying causes.The aim of the present study was to describe the pragmatic ability in children with CI.

The aim writing this essay is to understand and to explain difficulties with communications during sign language interpreting at the Video Relay Service (VRS). Another aim is also to identify the necessery conditions for communications at the VRS and to investigate why difficulties may arise in lack of these necessary conditions. The questions of this essay are: Which are the vital important difficulties in communication at the VRS and why do these difficulties arise?To answer these questions, four sign language interpreters working with the VRS, have been interviewed. These interviews constitute the empirical data of the essay.

The outset of this thesis is to raise questions on how we design for the mobile context and the capabilities of smartphones. Not only the presentation but also the use of input and interaction between a service and a user.This work evolves around sign up forms and answers the question: How does the sign up process affect the holistic perspective of a digital service regarding usability and user experience? This thesis consists of a case studies, and design experiments conducted on Twitter, Instagram and Randos sign up processes to explore if and how the usability, and the user experience could be affected and im- proved.This concluded some important aspects to be considered when designing sign up forms for a digital service.The usability, and the user experience is not only affected by user interaction, and the choice of input method but it?s also affected by which data the service is requesting, and more important; if that data is motivated to request by the service..

The earmould acoustics affect the amplification that the hearing aid is programmed to give to its user. It is therefore important that the choices made for the earmould are correctly done. One choice is regarding the shape of the soundbore that affects the frequency response of the hearing aid above a certain cut-off frequency. The purpose of this project was to measure the frequency response when altering the shape of the soundbore in the earmould. Additionally, the aim was to examine how the frequency response is affected when the shape of the soundbore is not set or is not possible to set in the software when programming the hearing aid.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the results obtained from scientific articles concerning research into group rehabilitation for people over 65 years with hearing problems. The interest arose then group rehabilitation was unusual in the audiologists work, even though previous research showed these positive effects. With a group rehabilitation, the participants can easier accept theire hearing loss and hearing aid, compaired with an individual rehabilitation. The method used was a literature study. PubMed and PsycINFO databases were used in the search for literature.

Prosody can be characterized as the rhythm and the melody of speech. Prosodic features convey emotions, thoughts and geographic origins of each individual. Spoken language without prosody would be monotonous, without variations in loudness and rate. Children with cochlear implants perceive speech in a different way than children with normal hearing. Consequently the speech produced by a child with cochlear implants may sound different.The purpose of this study was to examine prosodic skills in Swedish children with cochlear implants and to compare them with the prosodic skills in Swedish children with normal hearing.