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Dor YI, Algom D, Shakuf V, Ben-David BM. Age-related differences in processing of emotions in speech disappear with babble noise in the background. Cogn Emot 2024:1-10. [PMID: 38764186 DOI: 10.1080/02699931.2024.2351960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/21/2024]
Abstract
Older adults process emotional speech differently than young adults, relying less on prosody (tone) relative to semantics (words). This study aimed to elucidate the mechanisms underlying these age-related differences via an emotional speech-in-noise test. A sample of 51 young and 47 older adults rated spoken sentences with emotional content on both prosody and semantics, presented on the background of wideband speech-spectrum noise (sensory interference) or on the background of multi-talker babble (sensory/cognitive interference). The presence of wideband noise eliminated age-related differences in semantics but not in prosody when processing emotional speech. Conversely, the presence of babble resulted in the elimination of age-related differences across all measures. The results suggest that both sensory and cognitive-linguistic factors contribute to age-related changes in emotional speech processing. Because real world conditions typically involve noisy background, our results highlight the importance of testing under such conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yehuda I Dor
- School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Reichman University (IDC), Herzliya, Israel
| | - Daniel Algom
- School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Department of Communication Disorders, Achva Academic College, Arugot, Israel
| | - Vered Shakuf
- Department of Communication Disorders, Achva Academic College, Arugot, Israel
| | - Boaz M Ben-David
- Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Reichman University (IDC), Herzliya, Israel
- KITE, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, University Health Networks (UHN), Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Speech-Language Pathology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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Stenbäck V, Marsja E, Ellis R, Rönnberg J. Relationships between behavioural and self-report measures in speech recognition in noise. Int J Audiol 2023; 62:101-109. [PMID: 35306958 DOI: 10.1080/14992027.2022.2047232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Using data from the n200-study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between behavioural (the Swedish HINT and Hagerman speech-in-noise tests) and self-report (Speech, Spatial and Qualities of Hearing Questionnaire (SSQ)) measures of listening under adverse conditions. DESIGN The Swedish HINT was masked with a speech-shaped noise (SSN), the Hagerman was masked with a SSN and a four-talker babble, and the subscales from the SSQ were used as a self-report measure. The HINT and Hagerman were administered through an experimental hearing aid. STUDY SAMPLE This study included 191 hearing aid users with hearing loss (mean PTA4 = 37.6, SD = 10.8) and 195 normally hearing adults (mean PTA4 = 10.0, SD = 6.0). RESULTS The present study found correlations between behavioural measures of speech-in-noise and self-report scores of the SSQ in normally hearing individuals, but not in hearing aid users. CONCLUSION The present study may help identify relationships between clinically used behavioural measures, and a self-report measure of speech recognition. The results from the present study suggest that use of a self-report measure as a complement to behavioural speech in noise tests might help to further our understanding of how self-report, and behavioural results can be generalised to everyday functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria Stenbäck
- Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linnaeus Centre HEAD, Swedish Institute for Disability Research, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.,Division of Education, Teaching and Learning, Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linköping university, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Erik Marsja
- Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linnaeus Centre HEAD, Swedish Institute for Disability Research, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Rachel Ellis
- 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
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Cogmed Training Does Not Generalize to Real-World Benefits for Adult Hearing Aid Users: Results of a Blinded, Active-Controlled Randomized Trial. Ear Hear 2021; 43:741-763. [PMID: 34524150 PMCID: PMC9007089 DOI: 10.1097/aud.0000000000001096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Objectives: Performance on working memory tasks is positively associated with speech-in-noise perception performance, particularly where auditory inputs are degraded. It is suggested that interventions designed to improve working memory capacity may improve domain-general working memory performance for people with hearing loss, to benefit their real-world listening. We examined whether a 5-week training program that primarily targets the storage component of working memory (Cogmed RM, adaptive) could improve cognition, speech-in-noise perception and self-reported hearing in a randomized controlled trial of adult hearing aid users with mild to moderate hearing loss, compared with an active control (Cogmed RM, nonadaptive) group of adults from the same population. Design: A preregistered randomized controlled trial of 57 adult hearing aid users (n = 27 experimental, n = 30 active control), recruited from a dedicated database of research volunteers, examined on-task learning and generalized improvements in measures of trained and untrained cognition, untrained speech-in-noise perception and self-reported hearing abilities, pre- to post-training. Participants and the outcome assessor were both blinded to intervention allocation. Retention of training-related improvements was examined at a 6-month follow-up assessment. Results: Per-protocol analyses showed improvements in trained tasks (Cogmed Index Improvement) that transferred to improvements in a trained working memory task tested outside of the training software (Backward Digit Span) and a small improvement in self-reported hearing ability (Glasgow Hearing Aid Benefit Profile, Initial Disability subscale). Both of these improvements were maintained 6-month post-training. There was no transfer of learning shown to untrained measures of cognition (working memory or attention), speech-in-noise perception, or self-reported hearing in everyday life. An assessment of individual differences showed that participants with better baseline working memory performance achieved greater learning on the trained tasks. Post-training performance for untrained outcomes was largely predicted by individuals’ pretraining performance on those measures. Conclusions: Despite significant on-task learning, generalized improvements of working memory training in this trial were limited to (a) improvements for a trained working memory task tested outside of the training software and (b) a small improvement in self-reported hearing ability for those in the experimental group, compared with active controls. We found no evidence to suggest that training which primarily targets storage aspects of working memory can result in domain-general improvements that benefit everyday communication for adult hearing aid users. These findings are consistent with a significant body of evidence showing that Cogmed training only improves performance for tasks that resemble Cogmed training. Future research should focus on the benefits of interventions that enhance cognition in the context in which it is employed within everyday communication, such as training that targets dynamic aspects of cognitive control important for successful speech-in-noise perception.
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Vardonikolaki A, Pavlopoulos V, Pastiadis K, Markatos N, Papathanasiou I, Papadelis G, Logiadis M, Bibas A. Musicians' Hearing Handicap Index: A New Questionnaire to Assess the Impact of Hearing Impairment in Musicians and Other Music Professionals. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2020; 63:4219-4237. [PMID: 33253626 DOI: 10.1044/2020_jslhr-19-00165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Purpose We aimed to develop and validate the Musicians' Hearing Handicap Index (MHHI), a new self-evaluation tool for quantifying occupation-related auditory difficulties in music professionals. Although pure-tone audiometry is often considered the "gold standard" and is usually employed as the main instrument for hearing assessment, it cannot fully describe the impact of hearing dysfunction. The MHHI is an attempt to complement the hearing impairment assessment toolbox and is based on a unique approach to quantify the effects of hearing-related symptoms or hearing loss on the performance of musicians and other music industry professionals. Method An initial set of 143 questionnaire items was successively refined through a series of critical appraisals, modifications, and suggestions. This yielded an intermediate questionnaire consisting of 43 items, which was administered to 204 musicians and sound engineers. After exploratory factor analysis, the final form of the MHHI questionnaire was obtained, consisting of 29 items. The questionnaire's test-retest reliability, internal consistency, discriminating power, content validity, criterion validity, and aspects of construct validity and inherent conceptual structure were assessed. Results Exploratory factor analysis revealed a combination of four common factors for the 29 validated questionnaire items. They were named "impact on social and working lives," "difficulties in performance and sound perception," "communication difficulties," and "emotional distress." The MHHI was shown to be a valid and reliable instrument to assess musicians' and sound engineers' occupational difficulties due to hearing impairment and related symptoms. Conclusion The ability of the MHHI to discriminate between groups of music professionals with different auditory symptoms or pure-tone audiometry thresholds suggests that auditory symptoms might influence a professional's performance to an extent that cannot be assessed by a pure-tone audiogram.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aikaterini Vardonikolaki
- 1st Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece
| | - Vassilis Pavlopoulos
- Department of Psychology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece
| | - Konstantinos Pastiadis
- Faculty of Fine Arts, School of Music Studies, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Nikolaos Markatos
- 1st Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece
| | | | - Georgios Papadelis
- Faculty of Fine Arts, School of Music Studies, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
| | | | - Athanasios Bibas
- 1st Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece
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Vannson N, Strelnikov K, James CJ, Deguine O, Barone P, Marx M. Evidence of a functional reorganization in the auditory dorsal stream following unilateral hearing loss. Neuropsychologia 2020; 149:107683. [PMID: 33212140 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2020.107683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Revised: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Unilateral hearing loss (UHL) generates a disruption of binaural hearing mechanisms, which impairs sound localization and speech understanding in noisy environments. We conducted an original study using fMRI and psychoacoustic assessments to investigate the relationships between the extent of cortical reorganization across the auditory areas for UHL patients, the severity of unilateral hearing loss, and the deficit in binaural abilities. Twenty-eight volunteers (14 UHL patients) were recruited (twenty-two females and six males). The brain imaging analysis demonstrated that UHL induces a shift in aural dominance favoring the better ear, with a cortical reorganization located in the non-primary auditory areas, ipsilateral (same side) to the better ear. This reorganization is correlated not only to the hearing loss severity but also to spatial localization abilities. A regression analysis between brain activity and patient's performance clearly showed that the spatial hearing deficit was linked to a functional alteration of the posterior auditory areas known to process spatial hearing. Altogether, our study reveals that UHL alters the dorsal auditory stream, which is deleterious to spatial hearing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Vannson
- Brain and Cognition Research Centre, University of Toulouse Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France; Brain and Cognition Research Centre, CNRS-UMR, 5549, Toulouse, France; Cochlear France SAS, Toulouse, France.
| | | | | | - Olivier Deguine
- Brain and Cognition Research Centre, University of Toulouse Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France; Brain and Cognition Research Centre, CNRS-UMR, 5549, Toulouse, France; Service d'Otologie, Otoneurologie et ORL pédiatrique, Hôpital Pierre-Paul Riquet, CHU Toulouse Purpan, France
| | - Pascal Barone
- Brain and Cognition Research Centre, University of Toulouse Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France; Brain and Cognition Research Centre, CNRS-UMR, 5549, Toulouse, France
| | - Mathieu Marx
- Brain and Cognition Research Centre, University of Toulouse Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France; Brain and Cognition Research Centre, CNRS-UMR, 5549, Toulouse, France; Service d'Otologie, Otoneurologie et ORL pédiatrique, Hôpital Pierre-Paul Riquet, CHU Toulouse Purpan, France
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