title: Effect of multichannel digital signal processing on loudness comfort, sentence recognition, and sound quality.
abstract: This study evaluated the effect of increasing the number of processing channels from 32- to 64-signal processing channels on subjects' loudness comfort and satisfaction, sentence recognition, and sound quality of his or her own voice. Ten experienced hearing aid users with mild-to-moderate sensorineural hearing loss wore behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids with Adaptive Dynamic Range Optimization (ADRO) signal processing for a period of six weeks in the 32-channel and 64-channel conditions. Results revealed no significant differences in loudness comfort or satisfaction for the majority of sound samples as measured by the Subjective Loudness Test and Environmental Sounds Questionnaire. No significant differences in sentence recognition between the two processing conditions were found as measured by the Hearing In Noise Test (HINT). Additionally, no subjective differences in sound quality of subjects' own voice were determined by the Listening Tasks Questionnaire.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Division of Adult Audiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA. mispagelk@ent.wustl.edu
authors.forename: Karen M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Mispagel
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Valente
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D005260:Female; D006310:Hearing Aids; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D008144:Loudness Perception; D008297:Male; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation*; D013067:Speech Perception; D013069:Speech Reception Threshold Test; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires