Listening and Communication Enhancement (LACE)

Hearing-impaired individuals have varying degrees of success with amplification. Prognosis may be based on both peripheral and central phenomena. In addition, some individuals use compensatory strategies that may result in successful hearing aid use. Others, however, are not so fortunate. Modern hearing aids can provide audibility, but may not rectify changes in spectral and temporal resolution, susceptibility to noise, or degradation of cognitive skills associated with aging. Auditory training has long been advocated to enhance communication, but has never been considered time or cost-effective. LACE (listening and auditory communication enhancement), is a home-based, interactive, adaptive computer program designed to engage the adult hearing- impaired listener in the hearing aid-fitting process, provide listening strategies, build confidence, and address cognitive changes characteristic of the aging process. In addition, it provides the audiologist with the means to perform remote monitoring of a patient's progress. Concepts underlying the development of this therapy and a description of a multisite validation study are presented.

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