Gafoor SA, Uppunda AK. Speech Perception in Noise and Medial Olivocochlear Reflex: Effects of Age, Speech Stimulus, and Response-Related Variables.
J Assoc Res Otolaryngol 2023;
24:619-631. [PMID:
38079021 PMCID:
PMC10752852 DOI:
10.1007/s10162-023-00919-w]
[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] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE
The role of the medial olivocochlear system in speech perception in noise has been debated over the years, with studies showing mixed results. One possible reason for this could be the dependence of this relationship on the parameters used in assessing the speech perception ability (age, stimulus, and response-related variables).
METHODS
The current study assessed the influence of the type of speech stimuli (monosyllables, words, and sentences), the signal-to-noise ratio (+5, 0, -5, and -10 dB), the metric used to quantify the speech perception ability (percent-correct, SNR-50, and slope of the psychometric function) and age (young vs old) on the relationship between medial olivocochlear reflex (quantified by contralateral inhibition of transient evoked otoacoustic emissions) and speech perception in noise.
RESULTS
A linear mixed-effects model revealed no significant contributions of the medial olivocochlear reflex to speech perception in noise.
CONCLUSION
The results suggest that there was no evidence of any modulatory influence of the indirectly measured medial olivocochlear reflex strength on speech perception in noise.
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