We are currently working with 25 centres across the UK who are trialling the clinical utility of the IMAP test package. The majority of centres will be using the IMAP package within a specific research context. Click here to view titles and abstracts of projects being undertaken by IMAP field test collaborators.

The aims of trialling the IMAP test package across these sites are to:

• raise awareness of the test package in the clinical field
• trial the clinical utility of the test package
• provide opportunities for clinicians to engage in auditory processing (disorder) research
• facilitate the translation of the clinical research carried out at the Institute into clinical service

The last aim seeks in part to fulfill one of the summary points from the Cooksey Review:

There are two key gaps in the translation of health research:

• Translating ideas from basic and clinical research into the development of new products and approaches to treatment of disease and illness
• Implementing those new products and approaches into clinical practice

Research

The majority of centres will be using the IMAP test package to work on their own research study in collaboration with IHR. Proposed areas of research include:

• Comparison of typically developing children and adults with:
• Suspected APD
• Language impairment
• Autism
• Dyslexia
• Hyperacusis
• Comparison of IMAP test battery with:
• SCAN-C
• Dichotic tests e.g. digits
• Gaps-in-noise, frequency pattern test
• ABR using speech stimuli
• Maturation of the auditory pathway

In addition, each centre will report back to the IMAP team at the Institute, evaluating the clinical utility of the package. The team want to establish how easy the package is to use in a clinical setting and perform daily calibration, and how responsive the children (and staff!) are to the test and the game-style delivery.

Awareness

To raise awareness of the IMAP test package, flyers were posted in the British Society of Audiology newsletter and on the British Academy of Audiology website in December 2006 inviting audiology sites to register an interest in trialling the test package. There were 62 centres who expressed an interest, confirming a demand from audiologists in the area of auditory processing disorder. Questionnaires were received from 41 centres, and 25 were formally invited to take part in the field testing. Staff from these centres attended a one day training session at the Institute's Nottingham University Section and received the IMAP test package installed on a laptop.

Training

Two training days were held on 26 July and 1 August 2007 at the Institute. There were a total of 38 attendees - audiologists, speech and language therapists and educational psychologists - who were trained on the use of the IMAP test package. Information was also provided about the relevant sections of the IHR research programme: auditory processing disorder and auditory training. Background details were given about cognitive testing and the ethics and R&D approval processes.

We look forward to receiving feedback about the test package and results of the research.