ArticleJournal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation2024
Exploring the 'EarSwitch' concept: a novel ear based control method for assistive technology.
Article in Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundLoss of communication with loved ones and carers is one of the most isolating and debilitating effects of many neurological disorders. Assistive technology (AT) supports individuals with communication, but the acceptability of AT solutions is highly variable. In this paper a novel ear based control method of AT, the concept of 'EarSwitch', is presented. This new approach is based on detecting ear rumbling, which is the voluntary contraction of the tensor tympani muscle (TTM), resulting in observable movement of the eardrum and a dull rumbling sound. 'EarSwitch' has the potential to be a discreet method that can complement existing AT control methods. However, only a subset of the population can ear rumble and little is known about the ability of rumbling in populations with neurological disorders.
methodsTo explore the viability of the 'EarSwitch' concept as an AT control method we conducted in-depth online surveys with (N=1853) respondents from the general population and (N=170) respondents with self-declared neurological disorders including Motor Neurone Disease (MND) and Multiple Sclerosis (MS).This is the largest ever study to explore ear rumbling and the first to explore whether rumbling is preserved among individuals with neurological disorders. In addition, we validated rumbling, and investigated usability of the 'EarSwitch' concept as a control input, using in-person otoscopic examination with a subset of participants.
resultsA significant proportion of the population with neurological disorders could benefit from 'EarSwitch' controllable AT. The upper bound prevalence of the ability to rumble without accompanying movements was 55% in the general population, 38% in the neurological population, and 20% of participants with MND (N=95) reported this ability. During the validation procedure, participants achieved high accuracy in self-reporting the ability to rumble (80%) and proved concept of using the 'EarSwitch' method to control a basic interface. DISCUSSION: 'EarSwitch' is a potential new AT control method control, either by itself or as a supplement to other existing methods. Results demonstrate self-reported ear rumbling is present among patients with different neurological disorders, including MND. Further research should explore how well the ability to rumble is preserved in different types and stages of neurological disorders.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.