Speech-in-noise perception and spectro-temporal resolution in obsessive-compulsive disorder

This study aimed to evaluate speech-in-noise perception and spectro-temporal resolution skills in individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

A total of 84 adults participated: 42 individuals with OCD and 42 healthy controls. Participants had an OCD diagnosis for at least six months and no additional neurological, psychiatric, or organic conditions. All had normal hearing. Speech-in-noise perception was assessed with the Turkish Matrix Test (TURMatrix), spectral resolution with the Spectral-Temporally Modulated Ripple Test (SMRT), and temporal resolution with the Gap-In-Noise Test (GIN). OCD severity was measured using the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS), while depression and anxiety levels were evaluated with the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). Independent t-tests were used for between-group comparisons, multiple linear regression examined predictors of auditory performance, and ANCOVA assessed the effects of group and auditory factors on TURMatrix outcomes.

Significant differences were observed between groups in TURMatrix adaptive SNR scores and in both GIN threshold and GIN performance (p < 0.05), while SMRT scores did not differ between groups. Within the OCD group, OCD duration significantly predicted GIN thresholds, whereas Y-BOCS, BDI, and BAI scores showed no significant influence. ANCOVA indicated that both group and SMRT scores significantly predicted TURMatrix critical SNR values, explaining 26% of the variance.

This study demonstrates that individuals with OCD exhibit deficits in speech perception in noise alongside a selective weakness in temporal resolution; however, spectral resolution appears to remain intact. This selectivity offers a compelling explanation for why speech perception in noise is particularly challenging in OCD and suggests that the commonly reported sensitivity to background noise may stem, at least in part, from an objective timing-related processing deficit. These findings delineate potential targets for auditory-cognitive rehabilitation and highlighting the need for further large-scale studies.