Effects of Directionality, Compression, and Working Memory on Speech Recognition

Rallapalli, Varsha H.; Ellis, Gregory M.; Souza, Pamela E.

doi:10.1097/aud.0000000000000970

Cited by 6 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 97 publications

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“…Whilst directionality applies gain preferentially to sounds based on direction, it does not inherently distort the sound in the same way as non-linear processing schemes. There is a similar benefit from directionality for any compression speed irrespective of the degree of WM function ( 210 ).…”

Section: Implications For Hearing Aid Fittingmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…This is unlikely to reflect the overall function of commercial hearing aids and assess the interaction between different hearing aid features. Recent work has demonstrated the interactions between compression speed and other settings, such as noise reduction and directionality ( 181 , 210 ), so further research should establish whether combinations of hearing aid processing strategies negate the overall effect of individual settings in the user’s perception. It is also important to be able to evaluate balanced measures of speech intelligibility and quality, and relate them to the overall perception of distortion.…”

Section: Implications For Further Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A review of auditory processing and cognitive change during normal ageing, and the implications for setting hearing aids for older adults

2023

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Throughout our adult lives there is a decline in peripheral hearing, auditory processing and elements of cognition that support listening ability. Audiometry provides no information about the status of auditory processing and cognition, and older adults often struggle with complex listening situations, such as speech in noise perception, even if their peripheral hearing appears normal. Hearing aids can address some aspects of peripheral hearing impairment and improve signal-to-noise ratios. However, they cannot directly enhance central processes and may introduce distortion to sound that might act to undermine listening ability. This review paper highlights the need to consider the distortion introduced by hearing aids, specifically when considering normally-ageing older adults. We focus on patients with age-related hearing loss because they represent the vast majority of the population attending audiology clinics. We believe that it is important to recognize that the combination of peripheral and central, auditory and cognitive decline make older adults some of the most complex patients seen in audiology services, so they should not be treated as “standard” despite the high prevalence of age-related hearing loss. We argue that a primary concern should be to avoid hearing aid settings that introduce distortion to speech envelope cues, which is not a new concept. The primary cause of distortion is the speed and range of change to hearing aid amplification (i.e., compression). We argue that slow-acting compression should be considered as a default for some users and that other advanced features should be reconsidered as they may also introduce distortion that some users may not be able to tolerate. We discuss how this can be incorporated into a pragmatic approach to hearing aid fitting that does not require increased loading on audiology services.

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Section: Implications For Hearing Aid Fittingmentioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Implications For Further Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

A review of auditory processing and cognitive change during normal ageing, and the implications for setting hearing aids for older adults

2023

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“…It is well-known that fast-acting WDRC can distort the amplitude envelope (Jenstad & Souza 2005) and decrease SNR (Souza et al 2006; Naylor & Johannesson 2009; Reinhart et al 2017). When fast WDRC does not provide an audibility advantage, the WDRC processing may result in reduced consonant recognition (Reinhart et al 2016) and speech intelligibility (Reinhart & Souza 2016; Rallapalli et al 2021; Souza et al 2021).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Among the most common of these is wide-dynamic range compression (WDRC), a processing strategy that applies relatively greater gain to low-amplitude time-portions of the speech signal and relatively lower gain to high-amplitude time-portions of the speech signal. The benefits and limitations of WDRC have been researched in depth (Jenstad et al 1999; Jenstad & Souza 2005; Rosengard et al 2005; Souza et al 2006; Reinhart & Souza 2016; Reinhart et al 2016, 2017; Rhebergen et al 2017; Rallapalli et al 2021; Souza et al 2021). Generally, slow-acting WDRC maintains the amplitude envelope contrast, allowing listeners to use speech cues related to the envelope more consistently.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Effects of Signal to Noise Ratio, T 60, Wide-Dynamic Range Compression Speed, and Digital Noise Reduction in a Virtual Restaurant Setting

Ellis,

Crukley,

Souza

2024

Ear &Amp; Hearing

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Objectives: Hearing aid processing in realistic listening environments is difficult to study effectively. Often the environment is unpredictable or unknown, such as in wearable aid trials with subjective report by the wearer. Some laboratory experiments create listening environments to exert tight experimental control, but those environments are often limited by physical space, a small number of sound sources, or room absorptive properties. Simulation techniques bridge this gap by providing greater experimental control over listening environments, effectively bringing aspects of the real-world into the laboratory. This project used simulation to study the effects of wide-dynamic range compression (WDRC) and digital noise reduction (DNR) on speech intelligibility in a reverberant environment with six spatialized competing talkers. The primary objective of this study was to determine the efficacy of WDRC and DNR in a complex listening environment using virtual auditory space techniques. Design: Participants of greatest interest were listeners with hearing impairment. A group of listeners with clinically normal hearing was included to assess the effects of the simulation absent the complex effects of hearing loss. Virtual auditory space techniques were used to simulate a small restaurant listening environment with two different reverberation times (0.8 and 1.8 sec) in a range of signal to noise ratios (SNRs) (−8.5 to 11.5 dB SNR). Six spatialized competing talkers were included to further enhance realism. A hearing aid simulation was used to examine the degree to which speech intelligibility was affected by slow and fast WDRC in conjunction with the presence or absence of DNR. The WDRC and DNR settings were chosen to be reasonable estimates of hearing aids currently available to consumers. Results: A WDRC × DNR × Hearing Status interaction was observed, such that DNR was beneficial for speech intelligibility when combined with fast WDRC speeds, but DNR was detrimental to speech intelligibility when WDRC speeds were slow. The pattern of the WDRC × DNR interaction was observed for both listener groups. Significant main effects of reverberation time and SNR were observed, indicating better performance with lower reverberation times and more positive SNR. Conclusions: DNR reduced low-amplitude noise before WDRC-amplified the low-intensity portions of the signal, negating one potential downside of fast WDRC and leading to an improvement in speech intelligibility in this simulation. These data suggest that, in some real-world environments that include both reverberation and noise, older listeners with hearing impairment may find speech to be more intelligible if DNR is activated when the hearing aid has fast compression time constants. Additional research is needed to determine the appropriate DNR strength and to confirm results in wearable hearing aids and a wider range of listening environments.

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Integrating Mild Cognitive Impairment Screening Tools in Audiologic Care: A Review

Washnik

Anjum

2022

Perspect ASHA SIGs

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Purpose: The main purpose of this clinical focus article is to highlight the potential role of audiologists in screening for mild cognitive impairment (MCI). The secondary purpose is to review public health implications of integrating MCI screening procedures in audiologic care for older adults experiencing the dual burden of age-related hearing loss (HL) and cognitive decline. The tertiary purpose is to provide current evidence-based literature regarding cognitive screening tools available for detection of MCI in audiologic practice. Method: This clinical focus article is broadly organized into three sections: (a) public health burden of MCI and the role of audiologists in screening for MCI among older adults seeking audiologic care, (b) potential cognitive screening tools amenable for integration into audiologic practice, and (c) recommendations grounded in a public health audiology framework of assessment, policy, and assurance aimed at improving the audiologic outcomes for older adults experiencing the dual effects of age-related HL and MCI and reducing the overall public health burden of MCI. Conclusions: MCI presents an important public health concern for audiologists, as cognitive decline and age-related HL often co-occur. Given the projected increase in the number of older adults in the next 40 years, audiologists will cater to an increasing number of older adults seeking hearing care, who might also have concomitant MCI. Considering cognitive screening procedures in audiologic practice is a key step toward addressing this challenge. It will also be important to integrate cognitive screening procedures and interprofessional management of MCI into the training of future audiologists.

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Effects of Directionality, Compression, and Working Memory on Speech Recognition

Cited by 6 publications

References 97 publications

A review of auditory processing and cognitive change during normal ageing, and the implications for setting hearing aids for older adults

A review of auditory processing and cognitive change during normal ageing, and the implications for setting hearing aids for older adults

The Effects of Signal to Noise Ratio, T 60, Wide-Dynamic Range Compression Speed, and Digital Noise Reduction in a Virtual Restaurant Setting

Integrating Mild Cognitive Impairment Screening Tools in Audiologic Care: A Review

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