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Winn MB. The Effort of Repairing a Misperceived Word Can Impair Perception of Following Words, Especially for Listeners With Cochlear Implants. Ear Hear 2024:00003446-990000000-00300. [PMID: 38886880 DOI: 10.1097/aud.0000000000001537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES In clinical and laboratory settings, speech recognition is typically assessed in a way that cannot distinguish accurate auditory perception from misperception that was mentally repaired or inferred from context. Previous work showed that the process of repairing misperceptions elicits greater listening effort, and that this elevated effort lingers well after the sentence is heard. That result suggests that cognitive repair strategies might appear successful when testing a single utterance but fail for everyday continuous conversational speech. The present study tested the hypothesis that the effort of repairing misperceptions has the consequence of carrying over to interfere with perception of later words after the sentence. DESIGN Stimuli were open-set coherent sentences that were presented intact or with a word early in the sentence replaced with noise, forcing the listener to use later context to mentally repair the missing word. Sentences were immediately followed by digit triplets, which served to probe carryover effort from the sentence. Control conditions allowed for the comparison to intact sentences that did not demand mental repair, as well as to listening conditions that removed the need to attend to the post-sentence stimuli, or removed the post-sentence digits altogether. Intelligibility scores for the sentences and digits were accompanied by time-series measurements of pupil dilation to assess cognitive load during the task, as well as subjective rating of effort. Participants included adults with cochlear implants (CIs), as well as an age-matched group and a younger group of listeners with typical hearing for comparison. RESULTS For the CI group, needing to repair a missing word during a sentence resulted in more errors on the digits after the sentence, especially when the repair process did not result in a coherent sensible perception. Sentences that needed repair also contained more errors on the words that were unmasked. All groups showed substantial increase of pupil dilation when sentences required repair, even when the repair was successful. Younger typical hearing listeners showed clear differences in moment-to-moment allocation of effort in the different conditions, while the other groups did not. CONCLUSIONS For CI listeners, the effort of needing to repair misperceptions in a sentence can last long enough to interfere with words that follow the sentence. This pattern could pose a serious problem for regular communication but would go overlooked in typical testing with single utterances, where a listener has a chance to repair misperceptions before responding. Carryover effort was not predictable by basic intelligibility scores, but can be revealed in behavioral data when sentences are followed immediately by extra probe words such as digits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew B Winn
- Department of Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
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Zhang Y, Callejón-Leblic MA, Picazo-Reina AM, Blanco-Trejo S, Patou F, Sánchez-Gómez S. Impact of SNR, peripheral auditory sensitivity, and central cognitive profile on the psychometric relation between pupillary response and speech performance in CI users. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1307777. [PMID: 38188029 PMCID: PMC10768066 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1307777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite substantial technical advances and wider clinical use, cochlear implant (CI) users continue to report high and elevated listening effort especially under challenging noisy conditions. Among all the objective measures to quantify listening effort, pupillometry is one of the most widely used and robust physiological measures. Previous studies with normally hearing (NH) and hearing-impaired (HI) listeners have shown that the relation between speech performance in noise and listening effort (as measured by peak pupil dilation) is not linear and exhibits an inverted-U shape. However, it is unclear whether the same psychometric relation exists in CI users, and whether individual differences in auditory sensitivity and central cognitive capacity affect this relation. Therefore, we recruited 17 post-lingually deaf CI adults to perform speech-in-noise tasks from 0 to 20 dB SNR with a 4 dB step size. Simultaneously, their pupillary responses and self-reported subjective effort were recorded. To characterize top-down and bottom-up individual variabilities, a spectro-temporal modulation task and a set of cognitive abilities were measured. Clinical word recognition in quiet and Quality of Life (QoL) were also collected. Results showed that at a group level, an inverted-U shape psychometric curve between task difficulty (SNR) and peak pupil dilation (PPD) was not observed. Individual shape of the psychometric curve was significantly associated with some individual factors: CI users with higher clinical word and speech-in-noise recognition showed a quadratic decrease of PPD over increasing SNRs; CI users with better non-verbal intelligence and lower QoL showed smaller average PPD. To summarize, individual differences in CI users had a significant impact on the psychometric relation between pupillary response and task difficulty, hence affecting the interpretation of pupillary response as listening effort (or engagement) at different task difficulty levels. Future research and clinical applications should further characterize the possible effects of individual factors (such as motivation or engagement) in modulating CI users' occurrence of 'tipping point' on their psychometric functions, and develop an individualized method for reliably quantifying listening effort using pupillometry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Zhang
- Department of Research and Technology, Oticon Medical, Vallauris, France
| | - M. Amparo Callejón-Leblic
- Oticon Medical, Madrid, Spain
- ENT Department, Virgen Macarena University Hospital, Seville, Spain
- Biomedical Engineering Group, University of Sevillel, Sevillel, Spain
| | | | | | - François Patou
- Department of Research and Technology, Oticon Medical, Smørum, Denmark
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Kuchinsky SE, Razeghi N, Pandža NB. Auditory, Lexical, and Multitasking Demands Interactively Impact Listening Effort. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2023; 66:4066-4082. [PMID: 37672797 PMCID: PMC10713022 DOI: 10.1044/2023_jslhr-22-00548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Revised: 03/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE This study examined the extent to which acoustic, linguistic, and cognitive task demands interactively impact listening effort. METHOD Using a dual-task paradigm, on each trial, participants were instructed to perform either a single task or two tasks. In the primary word recognition task, participants repeated Northwestern University Auditory Test No. 6 words presented in speech-shaped noise at either an easier or a harder signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). The words varied in how commonly they occur in the English language (lexical frequency). In the secondary visual task, participants were instructed to press a specific key as soon as a number appeared on screen (simpler task) or one of two keys to indicate whether the visualized number was even or odd (more complex task). RESULTS Manipulation checks revealed that key assumptions of the dual-task design were met. A significant three-way interaction was observed, such that the expected effect of SNR on effort was only observable for words with lower lexical frequency and only when multitasking demands were relatively simpler. CONCLUSIONS This work reveals that variability across speech stimuli can influence the sensitivity of the dual-task paradigm for detecting changes in listening effort. In line with previous work, the results of this study also suggest that higher cognitive demands may limit the ability to detect expected effects of SNR on measures of effort. With implications for real-world listening, these findings highlight that even relatively minor changes in lexical and multitasking demands can alter the effort devoted to listening in noise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie E. Kuchinsky
- Audiology and Speech Pathology Center, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD
- Applied Research Laboratory for Intelligence and Security, University of Maryland, College Park
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park
| | - Niki Razeghi
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park
| | - Nick B. Pandža
- Applied Research Laboratory for Intelligence and Security, University of Maryland, College Park
- Program in Second Language Acquisition, University of Maryland, College Park
- Maryland Language Science Center, University of Maryland, College Park
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Książek P, Zekveld AA, Fiedler L, Kramer SE, Wendt D. Time-specific Components of Pupil Responses Reveal Alternations in Effort Allocation Caused by Memory Task Demands During Speech Identification in Noise. Trends Hear 2023; 27:23312165231153280. [PMID: 36938784 PMCID: PMC10028670 DOI: 10.1177/23312165231153280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Daily communication may be effortful due to poor acoustic quality. In addition, memory demands can induce effort, especially for long or complex sentences. In the current study, we tested the impact of memory task demands and speech-to-noise ratio on the time-specific components of effort allocation during speech identification in noise. Thirty normally hearing adults (15 females, mean age 42.2 years) participated. In an established auditory memory test, listeners had to listen to a list of seven sentences in noise, and repeat the sentence-final word after presentation, and, if instructed, recall the repeated words. We tested the effects of speech-to-noise ratio (SNR; -4 dB, +1 dB) and recall (Recall; Yes, No), on the time-specific components of pupil responses, trial baseline pupil size, and their dynamics (change) along the list. We found three components in the pupil responses (early, middle, and late). While the additional memory task (recall versus no recall) lowered all components' values, SNR (-4 dB versus +1 dB SNR) increased the middle and late component values. Increasing memory demands (Recall) progressively increased trial baseline and steepened decrease of the late component's values. Trial baseline increased most steeply in the condition of +1 dB SNR with recall. The findings suggest that adding a recall to the auditory task alters effort allocation for listening. Listeners are dynamically re-allocating effort from listening to memorizing under changing memory and acoustic demands. The pupil baseline and the time-specific components of pupil responses provide a comprehensive picture of the interplay of SNR and recall on effort.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrycja Książek
- 26066Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- 263099Eriksholm Research Centre, Snekkersten, Denmark
| | - Adriana A Zekveld
- 26066Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | | | - Sophia E Kramer
- 26066Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Dorothea Wendt
- 263099Eriksholm Research Centre, Snekkersten, Denmark
- Department of Health Technology, 5205Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
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Brungart DS, Sherlock LP, Kuchinsky SE, Perry TT, Bieber RE, Grant KW, Bernstein JGW. Assessment methods for determining small changes in hearing performance over time. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 151:3866. [PMID: 35778214 DOI: 10.1121/10.0011509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Although the behavioral pure-tone threshold audiogram is considered the gold standard for quantifying hearing loss, assessment of speech understanding, especially in noise, is more relevant to quality of life but is only partly related to the audiogram. Metrics of speech understanding in noise are therefore an attractive target for assessing hearing over time. However, speech-in-noise assessments have more potential sources of variability than pure-tone threshold measures, making it a challenge to obtain results reliable enough to detect small changes in performance. This review examines the benefits and limitations of speech-understanding metrics and their application to longitudinal hearing assessment, and identifies potential sources of variability, including learning effects, differences in item difficulty, and between- and within-individual variations in effort and motivation. We conclude by recommending the integration of non-speech auditory tests, which provide information about aspects of auditory health that have reduced variability and fewer central influences than speech tests, in parallel with the traditional audiogram and speech-based assessments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas S Brungart
- Audiology and Speech Pathology Center, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Building 19, Floor 5, 4954 North Palmer Road, Bethesda, Maryland 20889, USA
| | - LaGuinn P Sherlock
- Hearing Conservation and Readiness Branch, U.S. Army Public Health Center, E1570 8977 Sibert Road, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland 21010, USA
| | - Stefanie E Kuchinsky
- Audiology and Speech Pathology Center, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Building 19, Floor 5, 4954 North Palmer Road, Bethesda, Maryland 20889, USA
| | - Trevor T Perry
- Hearing Conservation and Readiness Branch, U.S. Army Public Health Center, E1570 8977 Sibert Road, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland 21010, USA
| | - Rebecca E Bieber
- Audiology and Speech Pathology Center, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Building 19, Floor 5, 4954 North Palmer Road, Bethesda, Maryland 20889, USA
| | - Ken W Grant
- Audiology and Speech Pathology Center, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Building 19, Floor 5, 4954 North Palmer Road, Bethesda, Maryland 20889, USA
| | - Joshua G W Bernstein
- Audiology and Speech Pathology Center, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Building 19, Floor 5, 4954 North Palmer Road, Bethesda, Maryland 20889, USA
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6
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Comparing methods of analysis in pupillometry: application to the assessment of listening effort in hearing-impaired patients. Heliyon 2022; 8:e09631. [PMID: 35734572 PMCID: PMC9207619 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e09631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Revised: 12/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
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Micula A, Rönnberg J, Książek P, Murmu Nielsen R, Wendt D, Fiedler L, Ng EHN. A Glimpse of Memory Through the Eyes: Pupillary Responses Measured During Encoding Reflect the Likelihood of Subsequent Memory Recall in an Auditory Free Recall Test. Trends Hear 2022; 26:23312165221130581. [PMID: 36305085 PMCID: PMC9620000 DOI: 10.1177/23312165221130581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Revised: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of the current study was to investigate whether task-evoked pupillary responses measured during encoding, individual working memory capacity and noise reduction in hearing aids were associated with the likelihood of subsequently recalling an item in an auditory free recall test combined with pupillometry. Participants with mild to moderately severe symmetrical sensorineural hearing loss (n = 21) were included. The Sentence-final Word Identification and Recall (SWIR) test was administered in a background noise composed of sixteen talkers with noise reduction in hearing aids activated and deactivated. The task-evoked peak pupil dilation (PPD) was measured. The Reading Span (RS) test was used as a measure of individual working memory capacity. Larger PPD at a single trial level was significantly associated with higher likelihood of subsequently recalling a word, presumably reflecting the intensity of attention devoted during encoding. There was no clear evidence of a significant relationship between working memory capacity and subsequent memory recall, which may be attributed to the SWIR test and RS test being administered in different modalities, as well as differences in task characteristics. Noise reduction did not have a significant effect on subsequent memory recall. This may be due to the background noise not having a detrimental effect on attentional processing at the favorable signal-to-noise ratio levels at which the test was conducted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreea Micula
- Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linnaeus Centre
HEAD, Swedish Institute for Disability Research, Linköping
University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Jerker Rönnberg
- Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linnaeus Centre
HEAD, Swedish Institute for Disability Research, Linköping
University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Patrycja Książek
- Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Otolaryngology-Head and
Neck Surgery, Ear and Hearing, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute,
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Eriksholm Research Centre, Snekkersten, Denmark
| | | | - Dorothea Wendt
- Eriksholm Research Centre, Snekkersten, Denmark
- Hearing Systems, Hearing Systems Group, Department of Electrical
Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | | | - Elaine Hoi Ning Ng
- Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linnaeus Centre
HEAD, Swedish Institute for Disability Research, Linköping
University, Linköping, Sweden
- Oticon
A/S, Smørum, Denmark
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How Do We Allocate Our Resources When Listening and Memorizing Speech in Noise? A Pupillometry Study. Ear Hear 2021; 42:846-859. [PMID: 33492008 DOI: 10.1097/aud.0000000000001002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Actively following a conversation can be demanding and limited cognitive resources must be allocated to the processing of speech, retaining and encoding the perceived content, and preparing an answer. The aim of the present study was to disentangle the allocation of effort into the effort required for listening (listening effort) and the effort required for retention (memory effort) by means of pupil dilation. DESIGN Twenty-five normal-hearing German speaking participants underwent a sentence final word identification and recall test, while pupillometry was conducted. The participants' task was to listen to a sentence in four-talker babble background noise and to repeat the final word afterward. At the end of a list of sentences, they were asked to recall as many of the final words as possible. Pupil dilation was recorded during different list lengths (three sentences versus six sentences) and varying memory load (recall versus no recall). Additionally, the effect of a noise reduction algorithm on performance, listening effort, and memory effort was evaluated. RESULTS We analyzed pupil dilation both before each sentence (sentence baseline) as well as the dilation in response to each sentence relative to the sentence baseline (sentence dilation). The pupillometry data indicated a steeper increase of sentence baseline under recall compared to no recall, suggesting higher memory effort due to memory processing. This increase in sentence baseline was most prominent toward the end of the longer lists, that is, during the second half of six sentences. Without a recall task, sentence baseline declined over the course of the list. Noise reduction appeared to have a significant influence on effort allocation for listening, which was reflected in generally decreased sentence dilation. CONCLUSION Our results showed that recording pupil dilation in a speech identification and recall task provides valuable insights beyond behavioral performance. It is a suitable tool to disentangle the allocation of effort to listening versus memorizing speech.
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Brännström KJ, Rudner M, Carlie J, Sahlén B, Gulz A, Andersson K, Johansson R. Listening effort and fatigue in native and non-native primary school children. J Exp Child Psychol 2021; 210:105203. [PMID: 34118494 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2021.105203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Revised: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Background noise makes listening effortful and may lead to fatigue. This may compromise classroom learning, especially for children with a non-native background. In the current study, we used pupillometry to investigate listening effort and fatigue during listening comprehension under typical (0 dB signal-to-noise ratio [SNR]) and favorable (+10 dB SNR) listening conditions in 63 Swedish primary school children (7-9 years of age) performing a narrative speech-picture verification task. Our sample comprised both native (n = 25) and non-native (n = 38) speakers of Swedish. Results revealed greater pupil dilation, indicating more listening effort, in the typical listening condition compared with the favorable listening condition, and it was primarily the non-native speakers who contributed to this effect (and who also had lower performance accuracy than the native speakers). Furthermore, the native speakers had greater pupil dilation during successful trials, whereas the non-native speakers showed greatest pupil dilation during unsuccessful trials, especially in the typical listening condition. This set of results indicates that whereas native speakers can apply listening effort to good effect, non-native speakers may have reached their effort ceiling, resulting in poorer listening comprehension. Finally, we found that baseline pupil size decreased over trials, which potentially indicates more listening-related fatigue, and this effect was greater in the typical listening condition compared with the favorable listening condition. Collectively, these results provide novel insight into the underlying dynamics of listening effort, fatigue, and listening comprehension in typical classroom conditions compared with favorable classroom conditions, and they demonstrate for the first time how sensitive this interplay is to language experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Jonas Brännström
- Logopedics, Phoniatrics and Audiology, Department of Clinical Sciences in Lund, Lund University, 221 85 Lund, Sweden
| | - Mary Rudner
- Linnaeus Centre HEAD, Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linköping University, 581 83 Linköping, Sweden
| | - Johanna Carlie
- Logopedics, Phoniatrics and Audiology, Department of Clinical Sciences in Lund, Lund University, 221 85 Lund, Sweden
| | - Birgitta Sahlén
- Logopedics, Phoniatrics and Audiology, Department of Clinical Sciences in Lund, Lund University, 221 85 Lund, Sweden
| | - Agneta Gulz
- Division of Cognitive Science, Lund University, 221 00 Lund, Sweden
| | - Ketty Andersson
- Logopedics, Phoniatrics and Audiology, Department of Clinical Sciences in Lund, Lund University, 221 85 Lund, Sweden
| | - Roger Johansson
- Department of Psychology, Lund University, 221 00 Lund, Sweden.
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Pauquet J, Thiel CM, Mathys C, Rosemann S. Relationship between Memory Load and Listening Demands in Age-Related Hearing Impairment. Neural Plast 2021; 2021:8840452. [PMID: 34188676 PMCID: PMC8195652 DOI: 10.1155/2021/8840452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Revised: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Age-related hearing loss has been associated with increased recruitment of frontal brain areas during speech perception to compensate for the decline in auditory input. This additional recruitment may bind resources otherwise needed for understanding speech. However, it is unknown how increased demands on listening interact with increasing cognitive demands when processing speech in age-related hearing loss. The current study used a full-sentence working memory task manipulating demands on working memory and listening and studied untreated mild to moderate hard of hearing (n = 20) and normal-hearing age-matched participants (n = 19) with functional MRI. On the behavioral level, we found a significant interaction of memory load and listening condition; this was, however, similar for both groups. Under low, but not high memory load, listening condition significantly influenced task performance. Similarly, under easy but not difficult listening conditions, memory load had a significant effect on task performance. On the neural level, as measured by the BOLD response, we found increased responses under high compared to low memory load conditions in the left supramarginal gyrus, left middle frontal gyrus, and left supplementary motor cortex regardless of hearing ability. Furthermore, we found increased responses in the bilateral superior temporal gyri under easy compared to difficult listening conditions. We found no group differences nor interactions of group with memory load or listening condition. This suggests that memory load and listening condition interacted on a behavioral level, however, only the increased memory load was reflected in increased BOLD responses in frontal and parietal brain regions. Hence, when evaluating listening abilities in elderly participants, memory load should be considered as it might interfere with the assessed performance. We could not find any further evidence that BOLD responses for the different memory and listening conditions are affected by mild to moderate age-related hearing loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Pauquet
- Biological Psychology, Department of Psychology, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, 26111 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Christiane M. Thiel
- Biological Psychology, Department of Psychology, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, 26111 Oldenburg, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence “Hearing4all”, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, 26111 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Christian Mathys
- Institute of Radiology and Neuroradiology, Evangelisches Krankenhaus, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, 26122 Oldenburg, Germany
- Research Center Neurosensory Science, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, 26111 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Stephanie Rosemann
- Biological Psychology, Department of Psychology, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, 26111 Oldenburg, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence “Hearing4all”, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, 26111 Oldenburg, Germany
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11
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Kadem M, Herrmann B, Rodd JM, Johnsrude IS. Pupil Dilation Is Sensitive to Semantic Ambiguity and Acoustic Degradation. Trends Hear 2021; 24:2331216520964068. [PMID: 33124518 PMCID: PMC7607724 DOI: 10.1177/2331216520964068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Speech comprehension is challenged by background noise, acoustic interference, and linguistic factors, such as the presence of words with more than one meaning (homonyms and homophones). Previous work suggests that homophony in spoken language increases cognitive demand. Here, we measured pupil dilation—a physiological index of cognitive demand—while listeners heard high-ambiguity sentences, containing words with more than one meaning, or well-matched low-ambiguity sentences without ambiguous words. This semantic-ambiguity manipulation was crossed with an acoustic manipulation in two experiments. In Experiment 1, sentences were masked with 30-talker babble at 0 and +6 dB signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and in Experiment 2, sentences were heard with or without a pink noise masker at –2 dB SNR. Speech comprehension was measured by asking listeners to judge the semantic relatedness of a visual probe word to the previous sentence. In both experiments, comprehension was lower for high- than for low-ambiguity sentences when SNRs were low. Pupils dilated more when sentences included ambiguous words, even when no noise was added (Experiment 2). Pupil also dilated more when SNRs were low. The effect of masking was larger than the effect of ambiguity for performance and pupil responses. This work demonstrates that the presence of homophones, a condition that is ubiquitous in natural language, increases cognitive demand and reduces intelligibility of speech heard with a noisy background.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mason Kadem
- Department of Psychology, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.,School of Biomedical Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Björn Herrmann
- Department of Psychology, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.,Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jennifer M Rodd
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ingrid S Johnsrude
- Department of Psychology, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.,School of Communication and Speech Disorders, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
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12
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The Effects of Task Difficulty Predictability and Noise Reduction on Recall Performance and Pupil Dilation Responses. Ear Hear 2021; 42:1668-1679. [PMID: 33859121 PMCID: PMC8542077 DOI: 10.1097/aud.0000000000001053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Communication requires cognitive processes which are not captured by traditional speech understanding tests. Under challenging listening situations, more working memory resources are needed to process speech, leaving fewer resources available for storage. The aim of the current study was to investigate the effect of task difficulty predictability, that is, knowing versus not knowing task difficulty in advance, and the effect of noise reduction on working memory resource allocation to processing and storage of speech heard in background noise. For this purpose, an "offline" behavioral measure, the Sentence-Final Word Identification and Recall (SWIR) test, and an "online" physiological measure, pupillometry, were combined. Moreover, the outcomes of the two measures were compared to investigate whether they reflect the same processes related to resource allocation. DESIGN Twenty-four experienced hearing aid users with moderate to moderately severe hearing loss participated in this study. The SWIR test and pupillometry were measured simultaneously with noise reduction in the test hearing aids activated and deactivated in a background noise composed of four-talker babble. The task of the SWIR test is to listen to lists of sentences, repeat the last word immediately after each sentence and recall the repeated words when the list is finished. The sentence baseline dilation, which is defined as the mean pupil dilation before each sentence, and task-evoked peak pupil dilation (PPD) were analyzed over the course of the lists. The task difficulty predictability was manipulated by including lists of three, five, and seven sentences. The test was conducted over two sessions, one during which the participants were informed about list length before each list (predictable task difficulty) and one during which they were not (unpredictable task difficulty). RESULTS The sentence baseline dilation was higher when task difficulty was unpredictable compared to predictable, except at the start of the list, where there was no difference. The PPD tended to be higher at the beginning of the list, this pattern being more prominent when task difficulty was unpredictable. Recall performance was better and sentence baseline dilation was higher when noise reduction was on, especially toward the end of longer lists. There was no effect of noise reduction on PPD. CONCLUSIONS Task difficulty predictability did not have an effect on resource allocation, since recall performance was similar independently of whether task difficulty was predictable or unpredictable. The higher sentence baseline dilation when task difficulty was unpredictable likely reflected a difference in the recall strategy or higher degree of task engagement/alertness or arousal. Hence, pupillometry captured processes which the SWIR test does not capture. Noise reduction frees up resources to be used for storage of speech, which was reflected in the better recall performance and larger sentence baseline dilation toward the end of the list when noise reduction was on. Thus, both measures captured different temporal aspects of the same processes related to resource allocation with noise reduction on and off.
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Zhang Y, Lehmann A, Deroche M. Disentangling listening effort and memory load beyond behavioural evidence: Pupillary response to listening effort during a concurrent memory task. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0233251. [PMID: 33657100 PMCID: PMC7928507 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0233251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent research has demonstrated that pupillometry is a robust measure for quantifying listening effort. However, pupillary responses in listening situations where multiple cognitive functions are engaged and sustained over a period of time remain hard to interpret. This limits our conceptualisation and understanding of listening effort in realistic situations, because rarely in everyday life are people challenged by one task at a time. Therefore, the purpose of this experiment was to reveal the dynamics of listening effort in a sustained listening condition using a word repeat and recall task. Words were presented in quiet and speech-shaped noise at different signal-to-noise ratios (SNR): 0dB, 7dB, 14dB and quiet. Participants were presented with lists of 10 words, and required to repeat each word after its presentation. At the end of the list, participants either recalled as many words as possible or moved on to the next list. Simultaneously, their pupil dilation was recorded throughout the whole experiment. When only word repeating was required, peak pupil dilation (PPD) was bigger in 0dB versus other conditions; whereas when recall was required, PPD showed no difference among SNR levels and PPD in 0dB was smaller than repeat-only condition. Baseline pupil diameter and PPD followed different variation patterns across the 10 serial positions within a block for conditions requiring recall: baseline pupil diameter built up progressively and plateaued in the later positions (but shot up when listeners were recalling the previously heard words from memory); PPD decreased at a pace quicker than in repeat-only condition. The current findings demonstrate that additional cognitive load during a speech intelligibility task could disturb the well-established relation between pupillary response and listening effort. Both the magnitude and temporal pattern of task-evoked pupillary response differ greatly in complex listening conditions, urging for more listening effort studies in complex and realistic listening situations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Zhang
- Department of Otolaryngology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music, Montreal, Canada
- Laboratory for Brain, Music and Sound Research, Montreal, Canada
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Music Media and Technology, Montreal, Canada
- * E-mail:
| | - Alexandre Lehmann
- Department of Otolaryngology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music, Montreal, Canada
- Laboratory for Brain, Music and Sound Research, Montreal, Canada
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Music Media and Technology, Montreal, Canada
| | - Mickael Deroche
- Department of Otolaryngology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music, Montreal, Canada
- Laboratory for Brain, Music and Sound Research, Montreal, Canada
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Music Media and Technology, Montreal, Canada
- Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada
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Peinkhofer C, Knudsen GM, Moretti R, Kondziella D. Cortical modulation of pupillary function: systematic review. PeerJ 2019; 7:e6882. [PMID: 31119083 PMCID: PMC6510220 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.6882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2019] [Accepted: 03/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The pupillary light reflex is the main mechanism that regulates the pupillary diameter; it is controlled by the autonomic system and mediated by subcortical pathways. In addition, cognitive and emotional processes influence pupillary function due to input from cortical innervation, but the exact circuits remain poorly understood. We performed a systematic review to evaluate the mechanisms behind pupillary changes associated with cognitive efforts and processing of emotions and to investigate the cerebral areas involved in cortical modulation of the pupillary light reflex. METHODOLOGY We searched multiple databases until November 2018 for studies on cortical modulation of pupillary function in humans and non-human primates. Of 8,809 papers screened, 258 studies were included. RESULTS Most investigators focused on pupillary dilatation and/or constriction as an index of cognitive and emotional processing, evaluating how changes in pupillary diameter reflect levels of attention and arousal. Only few tried to correlate specific cerebral areas to pupillary changes, using either cortical activation models (employing micro-stimulation of cortical structures in non-human primates) or cortical lesion models (e.g., investigating patients with stroke and damage to salient cortical and/or subcortical areas). Results suggest the involvement of several cortical regions, including the insular cortex (Brodmann areas 13 and 16), the frontal eye field (Brodmann area 8) and the prefrontal cortex (Brodmann areas 11 and 25), and of subcortical structures such as the locus coeruleus and the superior colliculus. CONCLUSIONS Pupillary dilatation occurs with many kinds of mental or emotional processes, following sympathetic activation or parasympathetic inhibition. Conversely, pupillary constriction may occur with anticipation of a bright stimulus (even in its absence) and relies on a parasympathetic activation. All these reactions are controlled by subcortical and cortical structures that are directly or indirectly connected to the brainstem pupillary innervation system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Costanza Peinkhofer
- Department of Neurology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Medical Faculty, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Gitte M. Knudsen
- Department of Neurology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Neurobiology Research Unit, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Faculty of Health and Medical Science, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Rita Moretti
- Medical Faculty, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
- Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, Neurological Unit, Trieste University Hospital, Cattinara, Trieste, Italy
| | - Daniel Kondziella
- Department of Neurology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Faculty of Health and Medical Science, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Neuroscience, Norwegian University of Technology and Science, Trondheim, Norway
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Rönnberg J, Holmer E, Rudner M. Cognitive hearing science and ease of language understanding. Int J Audiol 2019; 58:247-261. [DOI: 10.1080/14992027.2018.1551631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jerker Rönnberg
- Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linnaeus Centre HEAD, The Swedish Institute for Disability Research, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Emil Holmer
- Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linnaeus Centre HEAD, The Swedish Institute for Disability Research, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Mary Rudner
- Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linnaeus Centre HEAD, The Swedish Institute for Disability Research, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
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