Feasibility of hearing aid gain self-adjustment using speech recognition

Area of Science:

• Audiology
• Hearing Device Technology
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Personal hearing devices, like hearing aids, require precise tuning for optimal user benefit.
• Current adjustment methods can be complex and time-consuming.
• User-centered adjustments are crucial for improving hearing aid satisfaction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate novel self-adjustment procedures for personal hearing devices.
• To enable users to efficiently determine their preferred gain settings across multiple frequency bands.
• To assess the reliability and speed of these user-driven tuning methods.

Main Methods:

• Two distinct self-adjustment procedures (Procedure A and Procedure B) were designed using a one-dimensional user interface (programmable knob).
• Procedures were tested using Monte-Carlo simulations to assess convergence to preferred gain profiles.
• Behavioral evaluations involved 20 young, normal-hearing listeners to determine test-retest reliability.

Main Results:

• Both self-adjustment procedures demonstrated rapid convergence to preferred gain profiles in simulations within 20 trials.
• User gain preference estimation took less than 20 minutes per listener.
• Test-retest reliability showed a deviation of approximately 10-15 dB between estimates separated by at least one week.

Conclusions:

• User-guided self-adjustment procedures offer an efficient method for personal hearing device tuning.
• These methods provide reliable estimates of listener-preferred gain settings.
• The developed procedures have the potential to enhance user satisfaction and hearing aid effectiveness.