'Normal' hearing thresholds and fundamental auditory grouping processes predict difficulties with speech-in-noise
Emma Holmes1, Timothy D Griffiths2,3
1Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL, London, UK. emma.holmes@ucl.ac.uk.
Scientific Reports
|November 16, 2019
Summary
Difficulty understanding speech in noise, even with normal hearing, is common. New tests reveal it relates to basic sound processing and hearing thresholds, not just central grouping.
Area of Science:
- Auditory Neuroscience
- Speech Perception Research
- Psychoacoustics
Background:
- Understanding speech in background noise is crucial but varies significantly between individuals.
- A significant challenge is explaining why some individuals with clinically normal hearing struggle with speech-in-noise perception.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the underlying mechanisms of speech-in-noise perception difficulties.
- To develop novel figure-ground auditory tests to dissociate perceptual components.
- To determine the contribution of audiometric thresholds and central auditory processing to speech-in-noise deficits.
Main Methods:
- Development of novel figure-ground auditory tests.
- Participants extracted coherent tone patterns from stochastic background noise.
- Analysis of performance based on static pattern detection and dynamic frequency tracking.
- Correlation of performance with audiometric thresholds and central auditory measures.
Main Results:
- Figure-ground tests differentiated between static pattern detection and dynamic frequency tracking abilities.
- Elevated, yet 'normal,' hearing thresholds significantly predicted speech-in-noise difficulties.
- These hearing thresholds impacted perception independently of figure-ground processing abilities.
Conclusions:
- Successful speech-in-noise perception relies on audiometric thresholds, static acoustic grouping, and dynamic frequency tracking.
- Speech-in-noise deficits are better assessed by evaluating central grouping processes alongside standard audiometric thresholds.
- This research offers a more nuanced understanding of auditory processing challenges in noisy environments.
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