The goal of this project is to determine whether the selection of hearing aid settings should be based in part on an individual's cognitive characteristics (specifically, working memory). We anticipate the outcomes of this study to be applicable to realistic listening conditions.
Hearing aids have specialized features to improve access to sounds for the hearing-impaired listener. The choice of appropriate hearing aid settings is integral to the hearing rehabilitative process. Researchers and clinicians have been influenced by previous work showing that individual cognitive abilities, including working memory, are associated with hearing aid benefit, especially in adverse listening conditions. However, previous research is limited to omnidirectional microphone settings and unrealistic listening conditions. Such conditions fail to recognize that most hearing aids are fit with directional processing that may improve the listening environment, and that typical environments contain speech and noise signals in a range of spatial locations. Therefore, the broad goal of this research is to understand how patient variables interact with hearing aid signal processing in realistic listening conditions in order to effectively treat hearing-impaired individuals in communications situations that are most important to them.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE
Enrollment
42
Settings in a wearable hearing aid will be adjusted within a clinically-relevant range for two features. The features include wide dynamic range compression and microphone directionality.
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois, United States
Speech Intelligibility (Percent Correct Scores)
Listeners will listen to and repeat recorded low-context sentences mixed with noise from different spatial locations. Speech intelligibility will be measured immediately following hearing aid fitting. Scoring is determined by percentage of words repeated correctly. Scores range from 0-100% (higher score indicates better performance). This task may take up to 1-2 visits (\~ 2 hours each) for different combinations of hearing aid features. The device will only be worn in the laboratory for the duration of the experimental task and will be retrieved by the investigator at the end of each visit.
Time frame: ~20 mins for each intervention over the course of 1-2 days
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