Technologic advances in aural rehabilitation: applications and innovative methods of service delivery

The level of interest in aural rehabilitation has increased recently, both in clinical use and in research presentations and publications. Advances in aural rehabilitation have seen previous techniques such as speech tracking and analytic auditory training reappear in computerized forms. These new delivery methods allow for a consistent, cost-effective, and convenient training program. Several computerized aural rehabilitation programs for hearing aid wearers and cochlear implant recipients have recently been developed and were reported on at the 2006 State of the Science Conference of the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Hearing Enhancement at Gallaudet University. This article reviews these programs and outlines the similarities and differences in their design. Another promising area of aural rehabilitation research is the use of pharmaceuticals in the rehabilitation process. The results from a study of the effect of d-amphetamine in conjunction with intensive aural rehabilitation with cochlear implant patients are also described.