Evaluation of a semi-supervised self-adjustment fine-tuning procedure for hearing aids

This study investigated the effects of different adjustment criteria and sound scenes on self-adjusted hearing-aid gain settings. Self-adjusted settings were evaluated for speech recognition in noise, perceived listening effort, and preference.

This study evaluated a semi-supervised self-adjustment fine-tuning procedure that presents realistic everyday sound scenes in a laboratory environment, using a two-dimensional user interface, and enabling simultaneous changes in amplitude and spectral slope. While exploring the two-dimensional space of parameter settings, the hearing-aid users were instructed to optimise either listening comfort or speech understanding.

Twenty experienced hearing aid users (median age 69.5 years) were invited to participate in this study.

Adjustment criterion and sound scenes had a significant effect on preferred gain settings. No differences in signal-to-noise ratios required for 50% speech intelligibility or in the perceived listening effort were observed between the adjusted settings of the two adjustment criteria. There was a preference for the self-adjusted settings over the prescriptive first fit.

Listeners could reliably select their preferred gains to the two adjustment criteria and for different speech stimuli.