Poster - #VH-97175 - Keywords: Cocktail-party listening, Sensorineural hearing loss, speech segregation

Evidence of compensative listening for speech segregation in hearing-impaired adults

Lindsey Kummerer, Au.D., Gabriella Brown, B.A., Reagan Huynh, B.A., Jungmee Lee, Ph.D., & Robert A. Lutfi, Ph.D.
Dept. Communication Sciences and Disorders, Univ. of South Florida

ABSTRACT:
In this preliminary study, we aimed to evaluate how hearing loss affects the relative reliance listeners place on voice cues when identifying target talkers from background noise and if performance can be altered when enhancing different cues for that listener. Hearing Impaired (HI) individuals vary widely in their ability to understand the speech of a conversation partner when others are speaking at the same time. Differences in the degree of hearing loss certainly play a role, but nonauditory factors are also likely contributors. Selective attention, at least, is required to segregate the target talker from other talkers (Cherry,1953), and both normal hearing (NH) and HI individuals vary widely in this ability. Previous research has identified voice fundamental frequency (F0) and azimuthal location (θ) of the voice as two important cues for speech segregation. The role of hearing loss on speech recognition in noise can be difficult to gauge because reduced sensitivity to the relevant speech cues may be compensated for by changes in the relative reliance listeners place on those cues. This study aims to evaluate how hearing loss affects the relative reliance listeners place on voice F0 and location for speech segregation. This study demonstrates a significant positive correlation between relative cue reliance (R) and relative cue sensitivity (S) greater for HI when compared to NH listeners.
Results suggest that in noisy situations HI listeners may rely more heavily on cues for which they are most sensitive. Accentuating the speech cue that HI listeners rely on may provide a benefit. Although results vary, this could help with targeted treatments of enhancing spatial cues in current treatment options for those listeners who show a benefit with the compliant approach.