Effect of speechreading in presbycusis: Do we have a third ear?

Area of Science:

• Audiology
• Speech-Language Pathology
• Gerontology

Background:

• Limited evidence exists on speechreading's impact on age-related hearing loss (presbycusis).
• Understanding speechreading's efficacy in presbycusis is crucial for improving communication for older adults.
• Investigating the influence of hearing impairment severity on speechreading benefits is needed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if speechreading improves word intelligibility in individuals with presbycusis.
• To compare the effect of speechreading on word intelligibility between individuals with presbycusis and controls.
• To assess how hearing impairment severity influences the benefits of speechreading.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study involving 29 individuals with presbycusis and 10 controls (all >65 years).
• Speech audiometry performed with and without visual cues (speechreading).
• Effect of speechreading measured by changes in speech reception threshold.

Main Results:

• Speechreading significantly improved speech discrimination in both presbycusis and control groups (p < .001).
• The positive effect of speechreading on speech discrimination was significantly greater in the presbycusis group compared to controls (p < .001).

Conclusions:

• Speechreading enhances spoken-word intelligibility for individuals with presbycusis and general hearing impairment.
• Speechreading can be considered a beneficial compensatory strategy, akin to a "third ear," for individuals with hearing loss.