title: Speech perception in noise in unilateral hearing loss.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Unilateral hearing loss is characterized by a decrease of hearing in one ear only. In the presence of ambient noise, individuals with unilateral hearing loss are faced with greater difficulties understanding speech than normal listeners.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the speech perception of individuals with unilateral hearing loss in speech perception with and without competitive noise, before and after the hearing aid fitting process.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 30 adults of both genders diagnosed with moderate or severe sensorineural unilateral hearing loss using the Hearing In Noise Test - Hearing In Noise Test-Brazil, in the following scenarios: silence, frontal noise, noise to the right, and noise to the left, before and after the hearing aid fitting process.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study participants had a mean age of 41.9 years and most of them presented right unilateral hearing loss. In all cases evaluated with Hearing In Noise Test, a better performance in speech perception was observed with the use of hearing aids.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Using the Hearing In Noise Test-Brazil test evaluation, individuals with unilateral hearing loss demonstrated better performance in speech perception when using hearing aids, both in silence and in situations with a competing noise, with use of hearing aids.
authors.affiliation: Speech Therapy Course, Faculdade de Odontologia de Bauru, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Bauru, SP, Brazil. Electronic address: mfernandamondelli@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Maria Fernanda Capoani Garcia
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Mondelli
authors.affiliation: Speech Therapy Course, Faculdade de Odontologia de Bauru, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Bauru, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marina de Marchi
authors.initials: Mde M
authors.lastname: Dos Santos
authors.affiliation: Speech Therapy Course, Faculdade de Odontologia de Bauru, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Bauru, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Renata
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: José
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000328:Adult; D001299:Audiometry; D005260:Female; D006310:Hearing Aids; D046088:Hearing Loss, Unilateral / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009622:Noise / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013017:Sound Localization / Q000502:physiology*; D013067:Speech Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D013069:Speech Reception Threshold Test
keywords: Noise; Percepção da fala; Perda auditiva unilateral; Ruído; Speech perception; Unilateral hearing loss