Transcranial attenuation in bone conduction stimulation

Abstract

In bone conduction (BC) stimulation, the sound travels from the site of stimulation to the ipsilateral and contralateral cochlea. A frequency dependent reduction in BC hearing sensitivity occurs when sound travels to the contralateral cochlea as compared to the ipsilateral cochlea. This effect is called transcranial attenuation (TA) that is affected by several factors. Experimental and clinical studies describe TA and the factors that have an effect on it. These factors include stimulus location, coupling of a bone conduction hearing aid to the underlying tissue, and the properties of the head (such as geometry of the head, thickness of the skin and/or skull, changes due to aging, iatrogenic changes such as bone removal in mastoidectomy, and occlusion of the external auditory canal). While TA has an effect of the patient's benefit of BCHAs, there seems to be a discrepancy between experimental measurements and clinical relevance. The effects are small and the interindividual variability, in comparison, is rather large. However, a better understanding of these factors may help to determine the site of attachment, the coupling mode, and possibly the fitting of a BCHA, depending on its indication.

Keywords: Bone conduction hearing aids; coupling condition; skull bone resonance; stimulation location; transcranial attenuation.