Perception of One’s Own Voice After Hearing-Aid Fitting for Naive Hearing-Aid Users and Hearing-Aid Refitting for Experienced Hearing-Aid Users

Hengen, Johanna; Hammarström, Inger Lundeborg; Stenfelt, Stefan

doi:10.1177/2331216520932467

Cited by 4 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 30 publications

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“…The phenomenon ampclusion ( Painton, 1993 ) describes how the hearing-aid wearers’ perception of their own voice is changed, not only by the amplification, but also by altered auditory feedback arising from closed-dome hearing aids occluding the ear canal. A recent study found that experienced hearing-aid users rated their voice as being more dominating after receiving new hearing aids, even more so than a group of participants receiving their first hearing aids ( Hengen, Hammarström, & Stenfelt, 2020 ). In the current study, the hearing aids were programmed with active occlusion cancellation, which reduces the gain upon detecting the wearer's own voice, hence trying to compensate for the ampclusion and occlusion effects experienced while talking.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Effects of Hearing-Aid Amplification and Noise on Conversational Dynamics Between Normal-Hearing and Hearing-Impaired Talkers

2022

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There is a long-standing tradition to assess hearing-aid benefits using lab-based speech intelligibility tests. Towards a more everyday-like scenario, the current study investigated the effects of hearing-aid amplification and noise on face-to-face communication between two conversational partners. Eleven pairs, consisting of a younger normal-hearing (NH) and an older hearing-impaired (HI) participant, solved spot-the-difference tasks while their conversations were recorded. In a two-block randomized design, the tasks were solved in quiet or noise, both with and without the HI participant receiving hearing-aid amplification with active occlusion cancellation. In the presence of 70 dB SPL babble noise, participants had fewer, slower, and less well-timed turn-starts, while speaking louder with longer inter-pausal units (IPUs, stretches of continuous speech surrounded by silence) and reducing their articulation rates. All these changes are indicative of increased communication effort. The timing of turn-starts by the HI participants exhibited more variability than that of their NH conversational partners. In the presence of background noise, the timing of turn-starts by the HI participants became even more variable, and their NH partners spoke louder. When the HI participants were provided with hearing-aid amplification, their timing of turn-starts became faster, they increased their articulation rate, and they produced shorter IPUs, all indicating reduced communication effort. In conclusion, measures of the conversational dynamics showed that background noise increased the communication effort, especially for the HI participants, and that providing hearing-aid amplification caused the HI participant to behave more like their NH conversational partner, especially in quiet situations.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Effects of Hearing-Aid Amplification and Noise on Conversational Dynamics Between Normal-Hearing and Hearing-Impaired Talkers

2022

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Prevalence of Self-Reported Voice Concerns and Associated Risk Markers in a Nonclinical Sample of Military Service Members

Perry

Brungart

Myers

et al. 2023

J Speech Lang Hear Res

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Introduction: Difficult communication environments are common in military settings, and effective voice use can be critical to mission success. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of self-reported voice disorders among U.S. military service members and to identify factors that contribute to their voice concerns. Method: A nonclinical sample of 4,123 active-duty service members was recruited across Department of Defense hearing conservation clinics. During their required annual hearing evaluation, volunteers provided responses to voice-related questions including a slightly adapted version of the Voice Handicap Index-10 (VHI-10) as part of a larger survey about communication issues. Changepoint detection was applied to age and years of service to explore cohort effects in the reporting of voice concerns. Logistic regression analyses examined multiple available factors related to communication to identify factors associated with abnormal results on the VHI-10. Results: Among the respondents, 41% reported experiencing vocal hoarseness or fatigue at least several times per year, and 8.2% ( n = 336) scored above the recommended abnormal cut-point value of 11 on the VHI-10. Factors independently associated with the greatest risk for self-reported voice concerns were sex (female), cadmium exposure, vocal demands (the need for a strong, clear voice), and auditory health measures (frequency of experiencing temporary threshold shifts; self-reported hearing difficulties). Conclusions: Based on self-reported voice concerns and false negative rates reported in the literature, the prevalence of dysphonia in a large sample of active-duty service members is estimated to be 11.7%, which is higher than that in the general population. Certain predictors for voice concerns were expected based on previous literature, like female sex and voice use, but frequency of temporary threshold shifts and exposure to cadmium were surprising. The strong link between voice and auditory problems has particular implications regarding the need for effective communication in high-noise military and other occupational environments.

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Speak Up: How Hearing Loss and the Lack of Hearing Aids Affect Conversations in Quiet

Petersen,

Parker

2024

J Speech Lang Hear Res

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Purpose: The study examines the effect of hearing loss and hearing aid (HA) amplification on the conversational dynamics between hearing-impaired (HI) and normal-hearing (NH) interlocutors. Combining data from the current and a prior study, we explore how the speech levels of both interlocutors correlate and relate to HI interlocutors' degree of hearing loss. Method: Sixteen pairs of younger NH and elderly HI interlocutors conversed in quiet, with the HI interlocutor either unaided or wearing HAs. We analyzed the effect of hearing status and HA amplification on the conversational dynamics, including turn-taking times (floor-transfer offsets), utterance lengths, and speech levels. Furthermore, we conducted an in-depth analysis of the speech levels using combined data sets from the current and previously published data by Petersen, MacDonald, and Sørensen (2022). Results: Unaided HI interlocutors were slower and more variable at timing their turns, but wearing HAs reduced the differences between the HI and NH interlocutors. Conversations were less interactive, and pairs were slower at solving the conversational tasks when the HI interlocutor was unaided. Both interlocutors spoke louder when the HI interlocutor was unaided. The speech level of the NH interlocutors was related to that of the HI interlocutors, with the HI speech levels also correlating with their own degree of hearing loss. Conclusions: Despite typically being unchallenging for HI individuals, one-on-one conversations in quiet were impacted by the HI interlocutor not wearing HAs. Additionally, combining data sets revealed that NH interlocutors adjusted their speech level to match that of HI interlocutors.

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Perception of One’s Own Voice After Hearing-Aid Fitting for Naive Hearing-Aid Users and Hearing-Aid Refitting for Experienced Hearing-Aid Users

Cited by 4 publications

References 30 publications

The Effects of Hearing-Aid Amplification and Noise on Conversational Dynamics Between Normal-Hearing and Hearing-Impaired Talkers

The Effects of Hearing-Aid Amplification and Noise on Conversational Dynamics Between Normal-Hearing and Hearing-Impaired Talkers

Prevalence of Self-Reported Voice Concerns and Associated Risk Markers in a Nonclinical Sample of Military Service Members

Speak Up: How Hearing Loss and the Lack of Hearing Aids Affect Conversations in Quiet

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