Spectrotemporal Modulation Sensitivity as a Predictor of Speech-Reception Performance in Noise With Hearing AidsShow others and affiliations
2016 (English)In: TRENDS IN HEARING, ISSN 2331-2165, Vol. 20, article id 2331216516670387Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
The audiogram predicts amp;lt;30% of the variance in speech-reception thresholds (SRTs) for hearing-impaired (HI) listeners fitted with individualized frequency-dependent gain. The remaining variance could reflect suprathreshold distortion in the auditory pathways or nonauditory factors such as cognitive processing. The relationship between a measure of suprathreshold auditory function-spectrotemporal modulation (STM) sensitivity-and SRTs in noise was examined for 154 HI listeners fitted with individualized frequency-specific gain. SRTs were measured for 65-dB SPL sentences presented in speech-weighted noise or four-talker babble to an individually programmed master hearing aid, with the output of an ear-simulating coupler played through insert earphones. Modulation-depth detection thresholds were measured over headphones for STM (2cycles/octave density, 4-Hz rate) applied to an 85-dB SPL, 2-kHz lowpass-filtered pink-noise carrier. SRTs were correlated with both the high-frequency (2-6 kHz) pure-tone average (HFA; R-2 = .31) and STM sensitivity (R-2 = .28). Combined with the HFA, STM sensitivity significantly improved the SRT prediction (Delta R-2 = .13; total R-2 = .44). The remaining unaccounted variance might be attributable to variability in cognitive function and other dimensions of suprathreshold distortion. STM sensitivity was most critical in predicting SRTs for listenersamp;lt;65 years old or with HFA amp;lt;53 dB HL. Results are discussed in the context of previous work suggesting that STM sensitivity for low rates and low-frequency carriers is impaired by a reduced ability to use temporal fine-structure information to detect dynamic spectra. STM detection is a fast test of suprathreshold auditory function for frequencies amp;lt;2 kHz that complements the HFA to predict variability in hearing-aid outcomes for speech perception in noise.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
SAGE PUBLICATIONS INC , 2016. Vol. 20, article id 2331216516670387
Keywords [en]
hearing aids; amplitude modulation; cognitive processing; temporal fine structure; noise
National Category
Otorhinolaryngology
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-133115DOI: 10.1177/2331216516670387ISI: 000388149600001PubMedID: 27815546OAI: oai:DiVA.org:liu-133115DiVA, id: diva2:1055267
Note
Funding Agencies|Linnaeus Centre HEAD excellence center grant from the Swedish Research Council; FORTE
2016-12-122016-12-092016-12-29