Associations between pre-stimulus alpha power, hearing level and performance in a digits-in-noise task

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Auditory Neuroscience
• Cognitive Neuroscience

Background:

• Baseline electroencephalography (EEG) alpha power is a potential objective predictor of cognitive task performance.
• Understanding factors influencing speech-in-noise recognition is crucial for auditory rehabilitation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the predictive power of EEG alpha power on performance accuracy in a digits-in-noise recognition task.
• To investigate the influence of hearing thresholds and age on this relationship.

Main Methods:

• EEG alpha power was recorded during a digits-in-noise task in 85 participants (55-85 years old) with normal or impaired hearing.
• Two baseline periods were analyzed: pre-stimulus (pre-STIM) and pre-target (pre-TARG).
• Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were employed to determine predictors of performance accuracy.

Main Results:

• Lower hearing thresholds and higher pre-STIM alpha power were associated with improved performance accuracy.
• Pre-STIM and pre-TARG alpha power were highly correlated, but only pre-STIM alpha power significantly predicted performance.
• Hearing thresholds were a stronger predictor of performance than pre-STIM alpha power.

Conclusions:

• Baseline EEG alpha power, particularly pre-stimulus, can predict speech-in-noise recognition accuracy.
• Hearing thresholds are a significant factor that must be considered when investigating EEG alpha power as a performance predictor.
• Future research should control for hearing thresholds when examining EEG alpha power in auditory tasks.