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Differential Cognitive Strategies for Speech-in-Noise Perception: A Comparative Study Between Yoga Practitioners and
Shrinidhi Devarahalli Manoj1, Srikar Vijayasarathy2, Vishal Kooknoor1
1JSS Institute of Speech & Hearing, Mysuru, Karnataka, India.
Background:
Speech perception in noise varies widely even among normal-hearing individuals and is strongly influenced by cognitive factors such as attention, working memory and linguistic abilities. Yoga is known to enhance these domains, yet its potential impact on speech-in-noise perception remains insufficiently explored.
Purpose:
This study investigated whether yoga practitioners (YP) demonstrate superior speech-perception-in-noise (SPIN) performance compared to non-practitioners and whether differences could be attributed to enhanced selective attention, working memory and linguistic processing capabilities.
Methods:
Sixty young adults (18-30 years) with normal hearing were recruited: 30 YP with a mean practice duration of 4.79 years and 30 non-yoga practitioners (NYP). Speech identification in noise was assessed using Kannada low-predictive sentences presented with speech babble and speech-shaped noise at varying signal-to-noise ratios. Cognitive measures included Stroop tasks (selective attention), digit span and N-back tests (working memory) and moving-average type-token ratio and generative naming (linguistic abilities). Scores were converted to rationalised arcsine units and group differences were analysed using independent t-tests and Mann-Whitney U tests. Stepwise linear regression identified predictors of SPIN performance.
Results:
YP demonstrated significantly superior performance in speech babble at 0 dBSNR (p = .009) but not in speech-shaped noise conditions. Regression analyses revealed distinct predictive patterns: vocabulary (generative naming) predicted 26% of variance in NYP (β = 0.534, p = .002), while working memory (backward digit span) predicted 11.6% of variance in YP (β = 0.383, p = .037). Cognitive and linguistic measures showed no significant group differences.
Conclusion:
YP exhibited superior speech identification under informational masking conditions, mediated by working memory capacity. Our findings suggest that yoga practice is associated with a shift from vocabulary-based to working memory-based strategies for speech-in-noise perception.
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