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- Alfandari, Defne, et al.
(författare)
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Brain Volume Differences Associated With Hearing Impairment in Adults
- 2018
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Ingår i: TRENDS IN HEARING. - : SAGE PUBLICATIONS INC. - 2331-2165. ; 22
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Speech comprehension depends on the successful operation of a network of brain regions. Processing of degraded speech is associated with different patterns of brain activity in comparison with that of high-quality speech. In this exploratory study, we studied whether processing degraded auditory input in daily life because of hearing impairment is associated with differences in brain volume. We compared TI-weighted structural magnetic resonance images of 17 hearing-impaired (HI) adults with those of 17 normal-hearing (NH) controls using a voxel-based morphometry analysis. HI adults were individually matched with NH adults based on age and educational level. Gray and white matter brain volumes were compared between the groups by region-of-interest analyses in structures associated with speech processing, and by whole-brain analyses. The results suggest increased gray matter volume in the right angular gyrus and decreased white matter volume in the left fusiform gyrus in HI listeners as compared with NH ones. In the HI group, there was a significant correlation between hearing acuity and cluster volume of the gray matter cluster in the right angular gyrus. This correlation supports the link between partial hearing loss and altered brain volume. The alterations in volume may reflect the operation of compensatory mechanisms that are related to decoding meaning from degraded auditory input.
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| 2. |
- Besser, Jana, et al.
(författare)
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How Linguistic Closure and Verbal Working Memory Relate to Speech Recognition in Noise-A Review
- 2013
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Ingår i: Trends in Amplification. - : Sage Publications. - 1084-7138. ; 17:2, s. 75-93
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The ability to recognize masked speech, commonly measured with a speech reception threshold (SRT) test, is associated with cognitive processing abilities. Two cognitive factors frequently assessed in speech recognition research are the capacity of working memory (WM), measured by means of a reading span (Rspan) or listening span (Lspan) test, and the ability to read masked text (linguistic closure), measured by the text reception threshold (TRT). The current article provides a review of recent hearing research that examined the relationship of TRT and WM span to SRTs in various maskers. Furthermore, modality differences in WM capacity assessed with the Rspan compared to the Lspan test were examined and related to speech recognition abilities in an experimental study with young adults with normal hearing (NH). Span scores were strongly associated with each other, but were higher in the auditory modality. The results of the reviewed studies suggest that TRT and WM span are related to each other, but differ in their relationships with SRT performance. In NH adults of middle age or older, both TRT and Rspan were associated with SRTs in speech maskers, whereas TRT better predicted speech recognition in fluctuating nonspeech maskers. The associations with SRTs in steady-state noise were inconclusive for both measures. WM span was positively related to benefit from contextual information in speech recognition, but better TRTs related to less interference from unrelated cues. Data for individuals with impaired hearing are limited, but larger WM span seems to give a general advantage in various listening situations.
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| 3. |
- Besser, Jana, et al.
(författare)
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New measures of masked text recognition in relation to speech-in-noise perception and their associations with age and cognitive abilities
- 2012
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Ingår i: Journal of Speech, Language and Hearing Research. - : American Speech Language Hearing Association. - 1092-4388 .- 1558-9102. ; 55:1, s. 194-209
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose: This research aimed to increase the analogy between text reception threshold (TRT) and speech reception threshold (SRT) and to examine the TRT's value in estimating cognitive abilities important for speech comprehension in noise. Method: We administered five TRT versions, SRT tests in stationary (SRTSTAT) and modulated (SRTMOD) noise, and two cognitive tests: a reading span (RSpan) test for working memory capacity, and a letter-digit-substitution test for information processing speed. Fifty-five normal hearing adults (18–78 years, mean = 44) participated. We examined mutual associations of the tests and their predictive value for the SRTs with correlation and linear regression analyses. Results: SRTs and TRTs were well associated, also when controlling for age. Correlations for the SRTSTAT were generally lower than for the SRTMOD. The cognitive tests were only correlated to the SRTs when age was not controlled for. Age and the TRTs were the only significant predictors of SRTMOD. SRTSTATwas predicted by level of education and some of the TRT versions. Conclusions: TRTs and SRTs are robustly associated, nearly independent of age. The association between SRTs and RSpan is largely age-dependent. The TRT test and the RSpan test measure different non-auditory components of linguistic processing relevant for speech perception in noise.
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| 9. |
- Francis, Alexander L., et al.
(författare)
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Effects of Second Language Proficiency and Linguistic Uncertainty on Recognition of Speech in Native and Nonnative Competing Speech
- 2018
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Ingår i: Journal of Speech, Language and Hearing Research. - : American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. - 1092-4388 .- 1558-9102. ; 61:7, s. 1815-1830
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of 2nd language proficiency and linguistic uncertainty on performance and listening effort in mixed language contexts.Method Thirteen native speakers of Dutch with varying degrees of fluency in English listened to and repeated sentences produced in both Dutch and English and presented in the presence of single-talker competing speech in both Dutch and English. Target and masker language combinations were presented in both blocked and mixed (unpredictable) conditions. In the blocked condition, in each block of trials the target–masker language combination remained constant, and the listeners were informed of both prior to beginning the block. In the mixed condition, target and masker language varied randomly from trial to trial. All listeners participated in all conditions. Performance was assessed in terms of speech reception thresholds, whereas listening effort was quantified in terms of pupil dilation.Results Performance (speech reception thresholds) and listening effort (pupil dilation) were both affected by 2nd language proficiency (English test score) and target and masker language: Performance was better in blocked as compared to mixed conditions, with Dutch as compared to English targets, and with English as compared to Dutch maskers. English proficiency was correlated with listening performance. Listeners also exhibited greater peak pupil dilation in mixed as compared to blocked conditions for trials with Dutch maskers, whereas pupil dilation during preparation for speaking was higher for English targets as compared to Dutch ones in almost all conditions.Conclusions Both listener's proficiency in a 2nd language and uncertainty about the target language on a given trial play a significant role in how bilingual listeners attend to speech in the presence of competing speech in different languages, but precise effects also depend on which language is serving as target and which as masker.
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