Extending Subcortical EEG Responses to Continuous Speech to the Sound-Field

Florine L Bachmann ¹, Joshua P Kulasingham ², Kasper Eskelund ³

⁰Eriksholm Research Centre, Snekkersten, Denmark.

Trends in Hearing +

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May 13, 2024

View abstract on PubMed

Summary

Objective hearing assessments using auditory brainstem response (ABR) can now detect brainstem responses to continuous speech in sound-field conditions. This method requires 16 minutes of data, offering a more realistic evaluation for improved hearing technologies.

Area Of Science

Neuroscience
Audiology
Bioengineering

Background

Auditory brainstem response (ABR) traditionally uses brief stimuli for hearing assessment.
Recent advancements allow detection of brainstem responses to continuous speech using temporal response functions (TRFs).

Purpose Of The Study

To measure subcortical responses to continuous speech in sound-field conditions.
To determine the data duration necessary for accurate brainstem TRF estimation.
To compare sound-field TRFs with earphone-based TRFs and click ABRs.

Main Methods

Electroencephalography (EEG) recorded from 24 participants listening to speech stimuli.
Subcortical TRFs computed using auditory nerve models to account for peripheral non-linearity.
Comparison of TRFs derived from earphone and sound-field stimuli.

Main Results

Subcortical responses to continuous speech were reliably measured in sound-field conditions.
Auditory nerve models provided superior TRF estimation compared to simple rectification.
16 minutes of data sufficed for clear wave V peaks in sound-field TRFs, with earphone TRFs requiring 12 minutes.

Conclusions

Subcortical TRFs to continuous speech are consistent across earphone, sound-field, and click ABR conditions.
Sound-field speech stimuli bring objective hearing assessment closer to real-life scenarios.
Findings support advancements in hearing evaluations and smart hearing technologies.

Keywords:

auditory brainstem response electroencephalography neural speech processing speech ABR temporal response function