Predicting the Speech Recognition Performance of Elderly Individuals with Sensorineural Hearing Impairment A Procedure Based on the Speech Intelligibility Index

The purpose of this investigation was to prospectively examine performance on the pure-tone air-conduction threshold, speech-recognition threshold, and suprathreshold word-recognition tests over time in 21 monaurally aided (experimental group) and 28 unaided adults (control group) with asymmetric, sensorineural hearing impairment.The results revealed significant declines on the mean suprathreshold word-recognition scores over time at one and two years post-baseline for the worse ears of the control participants; no declines occurred in the worse ears of the experimental participants or in the better ears of either group. A slight, significant increase in the pure-tone average occurred for the better ears of both groups. The findings are consistent with the presence of an auditory deprivation effect on suprathreshold word-recognition ability in the control group, suggesting that lack of amplification leads to decline in word-recognition performance over time in the worse ears of adults with asymmetric sensorineural hearing impairment.

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A Comparison of Personal Sound Amplification Products and Hearing Aids in Ecologically Relevant Test Environments

American Journal of Audiology ◽

10.1044/2018_aja-18-0027 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 27 (4) ◽

pp. 581-593 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Lisa Brody ◽

Yu-Hsiang Wu ◽

Elizabeth Stangl

Keyword(s):

Speech Recognition ◽

Hearing Aids ◽

Speech Intelligibility ◽

Best Practice ◽

Hearing Aid ◽

Recognition Performance ◽

Sound Quality ◽

Listening Effort ◽

Speech Intelligibility Index ◽

Sound Amplification

Purpose The aim of this study was to compare the benefit of self-adjusted personal sound amplification products (PSAPs) to audiologist-fitted hearing aids based on speech recognition, listening effort, and sound quality in ecologically relevant test conditions to estimate real-world effectiveness. Method Twenty-five older adults with bilateral mild-to-moderate hearing loss completed the single-blinded, crossover study. Participants underwent aided testing using 3 PSAPs and a traditional hearing aid, as well as unaided testing. PSAPs were adjusted based on participant preference, whereas the hearing aid was configured using best-practice verification protocols. Audibility provided by the devices was quantified using the Speech Intelligibility Index (American National Standards Institute, 2012). Outcome measures assessing speech recognition, listening effort, and sound quality were administered in ecologically relevant laboratory conditions designed to represent real-world speech listening situations. Results All devices significantly improved Speech Intelligibility Index compared to unaided listening, with the hearing aid providing more audibility than all PSAPs. Results further revealed that, in general, the hearing aid improved speech recognition performance and reduced listening effort significantly more than all PSAPs. Few differences in sound quality were observed between devices. All PSAPs improved speech recognition and listening effort compared to unaided testing. Conclusions Hearing aids fitted using best-practice verification protocols were capable of providing more aided audibility, better speech recognition performance, and lower listening effort compared to the PSAPs tested in the current study. Differences in sound quality between the devices were minimal. However, because all PSAPs tested in the study significantly improved participants' speech recognition performance and reduced listening effort compared to unaided listening, PSAPs could serve as a budget-friendly option for those who cannot afford traditional amplification.

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Accuracy of Speech Intelligibility Index Predictions for Noise-Masked Young Listeners With Normal Hearing and for Elderly Listeners With Hearing Impairment

Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research ◽

10.1044/jshr.3801.234 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 38 (1) ◽

pp. 234-243 ◽

Cited By ~ 28

Author(s):

Sarah E. Hargus ◽

Sandra Gordon-Salant

Keyword(s):

Speech Recognition ◽

Hearing Impairment ◽

Speech Intelligibility ◽

Predictive Accuracy ◽

Normal Hearing ◽

Auditory Sensitivity ◽

Test Conditions ◽

Speech Test ◽

Speech Intelligibility Index ◽

Speech Presentation

This study examined whether the accuracy of Speech Intelligibility Index (SII) predictions is affected by subject age when between-groups auditory sensitivity differences are controlled. SII predictive accuracy was assessed for elderly listeners with hearing impairment (EHI) and for young noise-masked listeners with normal hearing (NMN). SII predictive accuracy was poorer for the EHI subjects than for the NMN subjects across a range of test conditions and stimuli. Speech test redundancy, speech presentation level, signal-to-babble ratio, and babble level also affected SII predictive accuracy. The results suggest that the speech recognition difficulties experienced in noise by elderly listeners do not result solely from reduced auditory sensitivity.

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