title: Auditory and Non-Auditory Contributions for Unaided Speech Recognition in Noise as a Function of Hearing Aid Use.
abstract: Differences in understanding speech in noise among hearing-impaired individuals cannot be explained entirely by hearing thresholds alone, suggesting the contribution of other factors beyond standard auditory ones as derived from the audiogram. This paper reports two analyses addressing individual differences in the explanation of unaided speech-in-noise performance amongn= 438 elderly hearing-impaired listeners (mean= 71.1 ± 5.8 years). The main analysis was designed to identify clinically relevant auditory and non-auditory measures for speech-in-noise prediction using auditory (audiogram, categorical loudness scaling) and cognitive tests (verbal-intelligence test, screening test of dementia), as well as questionnaires assessing various self-reported measures (health status, socio-economic status, and subjective hearing problems). Using stepwise linear regression analysis, 62% of the variance in unaided speech-in-noise performance was explained, with measuresPure-tone average (PTA), Age, andVerbal intelligenceemerging as the three most important predictors. In the complementary analysis, those individuals with the same hearing loss profile were separated into hearing aid users (HAU) and non-users (NU), and were then compared regarding potential differences in the test measures and in explaining unaided speech-in-noise recognition. The groupwise comparisons revealed significant differences in auditory measures and self-reported subjective hearing problems, while no differences in the cognitive domain were found. Furthermore, groupwise regression analyses revealed thatVerbal intelligencehad a predictive value in both groups, whereasAgeandPTAonly emerged significant in the group of hearing aid NU.
authors.affiliation: Cluster of Excellence 'Hearing4all', University of OldenburgOldenburg, Germany; Cognitive Psychology Lab, Department of Psychology, University of OldenburgOldenburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Anja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gieseler
authors.affiliation: Cluster of Excellence 'Hearing4all', University of OldenburgOldenburg, Germany; Cognitive Psychology Lab, Department of Psychology, University of OldenburgOldenburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Maike A S
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Tahden
authors.affiliation: Cluster of Excellence 'Hearing4all', University of OldenburgOldenburg, Germany; Biological Psychology Lab, Department of Psychology, University of OldenburgOldenburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Christiane M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Thiel
authors.affiliation: Cluster of Excellence 'Hearing4all', University of OldenburgOldenburg, Germany; Hörzentrum Oldenburg GmbHOldenburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Kirsten C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Wagener
authors.affiliation: Cluster of Excellence 'Hearing4all', University of OldenburgOldenburg, Germany; Hörzentrum Oldenburg GmbHOldenburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Meis
authors.affiliation: Cluster of Excellence 'Hearing4all', University of OldenburgOldenburg, Germany; Cognitive Psychology Lab, Department of Psychology, University of OldenburgOldenburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Colonius
keywords: aging; audiogram profile; cognition; hearing impairment; loudness scaling; speech reception threshold; verbal intelligence