Pilot Study to Evaluate the Long-term Chronic Care of Patients Who Could or do Utilize an Osseointegrated Device (OID)

In this test, five sentences are read aloud to the participant by a research staff member, and the participant is asked to repeat back the sentence. Participants are scored on the number of target words repeated back correctly (3 target words/sentence). This test contains 2 trials, Trial 1 and Trial 2, with Trial 2 only being completed if the score on Trial 1 is below the specified criteria. The total score for Trail 1 is 1 (one target word repeated correctly) to 15 (all target words repeated correctly). If a participant's score is 12 or less on Trial 1, Trial 2 will be administered using a slightly louder tone. Trial 2 contains 15 target words and the same scoring criteria as Trail 1. If the score on Trial 2 is 12 or less, the examiner will use a slightly louder tone while administering the neurocognitive test battery. This test guards against poor speech understanding from hearing loss directly confounding administration of neurocognitive tests with auditory stimuli.

This test is a standardized instrument for screening a limited number of cognitive functions. The MMSE is used to exclude those with significant cognitive impairment at baseline, and as an outcome for tracking cognitive decline, and dementia. The MMSE is administered by interview and should be attempted in all participants. Scores range from 0 (no cognitive function questions answered correctly) to 30 (all cognitive function questions answered correctly).

The DWRT is a measure of verbal memory that requires the participant to recall a list of 10 common nouns following a short delay. The participant is presented with a stimulus card for each of the 10 words. The examiner reads each word aloud, and asks the participant to repeat the word and use it in a sentence. This procedure is repeated, providing two exposures to the words. Following an approximate 5-minute delay, during which the (non-verbal) digit symbol substitution test (DSST) is given, the participant is asked to recall as many words as possible. Scores range from 0 (no words recalled correctly) to 10 (all words recalled correctly).

The DSST is a measure of psychomotor speed and sustained attention and also serves as a nonverbal distractor task, interposed between learning and recall for the Delayed Word Recall Test (DWRT). The participant is asked to translate numbers (1-9) to symbols using a key provided at the top of the test form. The participant is provided with a pencil (without an eraser). Instructions are provided in a deliberate and slow pace. One point is given for each correctly drawn symbol completed within the 90-second time limit. Scores range from 0 (no symbols correctly drawn) to 93 (all symbols correctly drawn).

The Incidental Learning Test was adapted from the WAIS-R NI and provides a non-verbal measure of recent memory. Following the Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST), the participant is presented with the Incidental Learning Template. The participant is asked to write down as many of the DSST symbols as he/she can remember, in any order. Next, the participant is asked to write down the number that was paired with each of the symbols from the DSST. Two scores are yielded: 1) Free Recall: total number of symbols recalled, regardless of pairing and 2) Pairing: number of correct symbols correctly paired with corresponding numbers. Scores for each range from 0 (no symbols recalled, no symbols correctly paired to corresponding numbers) to 9 (all symbols recalled, all symbols correctly paired to corresponding numbers).

The TMT A is a timed task in which participants connect numbers in sequence as quickly as possible. TMT measures attention, sequencing, mental flexibility, and visual search and motor function. In the TMT A, the participant is asked to draw a line and connect a series of numbers (from 1-25) as quickly as possible. Prior to the test part, the participant is given a sample test to demonstrate the task. The score for TMT A is the number of seconds required to complete the task. Scores range from 1 (1 second to connect all numbers) to 240 (240 seconds to connect all numbers). A maximum of 240 seconds (4 minutes) and 5 errors is allowed. If a participant makes 5 errors, the test is stopped even if the participant has not reached the 240 second limit, and a score of 240 seconds is given.

The TMT Part B is a timed task in which participants connect letters and numbers in sequence as quickly as possible. The TMT measures attention, sequencing, mental flexibility, and visual search and motor function. In the TMT B, the participant is asked to draw a line and connect a series of numbers and letters, alternating between a given number and letter (e.g., 1 to A, A to 2, 2 to B, B to 3, etc.) as quickly as possible. Prior to the test part, the participant is given a sample test to demonstrate the task. The score for TMT B is the number of seconds required to complete the task. Scores range from 1 (1 second to connect all numbers and letters) to 240 (240 seconds to connect all numbers and letters). A maximum of 240 seconds (4 minutes) and 5 errors is allowed. If a participant makes 5 errors, the test is stopped even if the participant has not reached the 240 second limit, and a score of 240 seconds is given.

The Logical Memory I and II provides a measure of immediate and delayed verbal recall for the number of ideas presented in two stories, which are read to the participant. Both stories are read to the participant, and after each story is presented, the participant is asked to recall as much of the story as possible. The Logical Memory I score is calculated as the average number of ideas recalled from Story A and B. Each story contains 25 scoring units, the maximum score is 25 (25+25/2). An approximate 20-minute delay follows, during which the remaining (non-memory) tests are administered. Following the delay period, the participant is again asked to recall the stories. The Logical Memory II score is calculated as the average number of story elements recalled from Story A and B. Scores range from 0 (no story elements correctly recalled) to 25 (all story elements correctly recalled).

The Digit Span Backwards is part of the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised and provides a measure of attention and working memory. The participant is read a series of numbers progressively increasing in length from two to eight digits. After the numbers are read, the participant is asked to repeat the numbers in the reverse order. Two trials at each digit length are performed (i.e., 2 trials with 2 digits, 2 trials with 3 digits, etc.). The test is discontinued after two consecutive errors of the same length item. Scores range from 0 (no trails correctly repeated in reverse order) to 12 (all trials correctly repeated in reverse order).

The Boston Naming Test assess visual naming ability using black-and-white drawings of common objects. For this study, the 30-item version used by the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Centers Uniform Data Set will be used. The participant is presented with a series of line drawings of objects and asked to name each object. The items become progressive more difficult based on their frequency of occurrence in the English language. A total score is calculated as the number of spontaneously produced correct responses. Scores may range from 0 (no object named correctly) to 30 (all objects named correctly).

The Word Fluency Test is a measure of verbal functioning. In this task, the participant is asked to produce as many words as possible that begin with the letters F, A, and S within a time limit of 60 seconds for each letter, avoiding proper nouns, variations, plurals, and repetitions. The score is the total number of admissible words produced across letters, ranging from 0 (no words produced) to X (number of words produced).

Animal Naming is a measure of category fluency (semantic association). Category fluency, and specifically animal naming, is part of the Boston Diagnostic Aphasia Examination, the Stanford-Binet test, and the CERAD. The participant is asked to name as many different animals as possible within a 60 second time limit. The score is given as the sum of all admissible names, from 0 (no animals named) to X (number of animals named).

The OSSDQ was developed by Oticon Medical as a brief instrument to capture reasons why a patient with single sided deafness may want to use OID hearing intervention. The OSSDQ is a self-administered questionnaire.

The Tinnitus Functional Index has eight subscales that address the intrusiveness of tinnitus, the sense of control the patient has, cognitive interference, sleep disturbance, auditory issues, relaxation issues, quality of life, and emotional distress. The subject will report (either directly onto the questionnaire in person, via web, or over the phone) answers to each of the 25 questions using a scale of 0 (tinnitus did not interfere) to 10 (tinnitus completely interfered).

The CES-D Short Form is a screening tool for identifying clinical depression, and is a self-administered questionnaire. Participants are asked to rate each item on a 3-point scale, 0 (hardly ever or never) to 2 (much or most of the time), on the basis of "how often you have felt this way during the past week."

This is a self-administered questionnaire given to each participant that measures the frequency and duration of self-reported activities. This questionnaire asks about habitual physical activities including sport-related activities during leisure time, non-sport related physical activity during leisure time, and television viewing. Ratings range from A (least amount of physical activity) to E (highest amount of physical activity), with each question containing a different explanation for scores A-E based on the question asked.

This is a self-administered screening questionnaire given to each participant to gather data on the perception of the impact of hearing loss. This questionnaire assesses the social and emotional impacts the participant perceives due to their hearing loss. Ratings range from 0 (No, hearing loss does not affect me) to 20 (Yes, hearing loss does affect me).

The SF-36 Health Survey is a self-administered questionnaire that assesses health-related quality of life. It is a generic measure, as opposed to one that targets a specific age, disease, or treatment group. The SF-36 is the most widely-used health survey throughout the world because it is both brief and comprehensive, readily available, psychometrically-sound, and of proven usefulness in measuring health status and monitoring health outcomes. Eight domains of health can be estimated from the SF-36 (physical function, role limitations due to physical problems, social functioning, bodily pain, general mental health perception, role limitations due to emotional problems, emotional well-being, general health perception). Each domain is evaluated on a range of 0 (worst) to 100 (best) with a global median of 50.

The Cohen SNI is a self-administered questionnaire given to each participant to gather social network data. The Social Network Index evaluates two outcome variables: (1) Social Network Diversity - Number of social roles in which the participant had regular contact with for at least once every 2 weeks, and (2) People in Social Network -Total number of people with whom the participant had regular contact (at least once every 2 weeks). Examples of items include, "How many other relatives (other than your spouse, parents & children) do you feel close to?", "Do you attend any classes (school, university, technical training, or adult education) on a regular basis?", "Are you currently involved in regular volunteer work?", among others.

This is a self-administered questionnaire given to each participant to gather loneliness data. This questionnaire measures subjective ratings of social isolation and loneliness (e.g. lacking companionship, feeling left out, and isolated from others, among others). Ratings range from 0 (never feeling what the question is asking) to 4 (always feeling what the question is asking).

This is a self-administered questionnaire given to each participant to record living circumstances, self-reported physical ability, fatigue, and falls. Subjective ratings depend on the section being evaluated (e.g. no difficulty, never, 1 fall, do not remember).

This is a self-administered questionnaire given to each participant to record recent hospitalizations since the last time of study contact. Responses include Yes (hospitalized since last contact), or No (not hospitalized since last contact).

The audiometric diagnostic battery will be conducted by a trained audiology staff member for all participants. This assessment is standard of care. The battery includes otoscopy, tympanometry, pure tone audiometry, and speech audiometry (including word recognition testing in noise). The goal of this battery it to provide a diagnosis of hearing loss at the screening appointment, and then to monitor the participants hearing status during the study's time period.