Our research aims to better understand the underlying biological mechanisms of such variability and pave the way for a more personalized and effective hearing aid technology, offering hope for those struggling in noisy listening environments.
Auditory Cue Use Changes With Age?
The results of our research suggest that individual differences in the ability to use auditory cues in noise may contribute to the range of communication challenges experienced by older adults.
How Sensory Gating May Aid in Better Perception of Speech in Noise
Sensory gating acts as an automatic “filter” that may suppress noise before reaching levels of attention.
Perceptual Decision-Making for Speech Recognition in Noise
Our study indicates that perceptual decision-making is engaged for difficult word recognition conditions, and that frontal cortex activity may adjust how much information is collected to benefit word recognition task performance.
Train Your Brain to Listen
One of the most important things a person with hearing loss can do is to develop listening strategies. Auditory training, or auditory rehabilitation, is essentially a formal program for teaching the brain to recognize speech and other sounds that may not be as clear as they are with typical hearing.
A Texas Accent?
I had hearing problems all my life and speech therapy through grade school. I always say that it was as a result of speech therapy that I do not really have a Texas accent! (Although some people would disagree.) I don't know why I didn't have hearing aids as a child, but I always sat in the front seats of classrooms to be sure to hear.
A Clue Toward Understanding Difficulties With Speech Perception in Noise
While it is well known that hearing loss degrades speech perception, especially in noisy environments, less is understood as to why some individuals with typical hearing may also struggle with speech perception in noise (SPiN). Several factors appear to contribute to SPiN abilities in adults with typical hearing, including the top-down cognitive functions of attention, working memory, and inhibition.