Subjective and objective evaluation of noise management algorithms.
OBJECTIVE
To measure the subjective and objective improvement of speech intelligibility in noise offered by a commercial hearing aid that uses a fully adaptive directional microphone and a noise reduction algorithm that optimizes the Speech Intelligibility Index (SII).


METHODS
Comparison of results on the Hearing in Noise Test (HINT) and the Acceptable Noise Level task (ANL).


METHODS
Eighteen participants with varying configurations of sensorineural hearing loss.


RESULTS
Both the directional microphone and the noise reduction algorithm improved the speech-in-noise performance of the participants. The benefits reported were higher for the directional microphone than the noise reduction algorithm. A moderate correlation was noted between the benefits measured on the HINT and the ANL for the directional microphone condition, the noise reduction condition, and the directional microphone plus noise reduction conditions.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that the directional microphone and the SII-based noise reduction algorithm may improve the SNR of the listening environments, and both the HINT and the ANL may be used to study their benefits.
Peeters
Heidi
H
Widex Office of Research in Clinical Amplification, Widex Hearing Aid Company, USA. hpeeters@widexmail.com
Kuk
Francis
F
Lau
Chi-chuen
CC
Keenan
Denise
D
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000465:Algorithms; D001302:Audiometry, Speech; D005260:Female; D006310:Hearing Aids; D006312:Hearing Loss, Bilateral / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009622:Noise; D013067:Speech Perception