Cortical encoding of speech acoustics: Effects of noise and amplification

Abstract

Objective: To investigate speech stimuli and background-noise-dependent changes in cortical auditory-evoked potentials (CAEPs) in unaided and aided conditions, and determine amplification effects on CAEPs. Design: CAEPs to naturally produced syllables in quiet and in multi-talker babble were recorded, with and without a hearing aid in the right ear. At least 300 artifact-free trials for each participant were required to measure latencies and amplitudes of CAEPs. Acoustic characteristics of the hearing-aid-transduced stimuli were measured using in-the-canal probe microphone measurements to determine unaided versus aided SNR and to compare stimulus acoustic characteristics to CAEP findings. Study sample: Ten participants with normal hearing, aged 19 to 35 years. Results: CAEP latencies and amplitudes showed significant effects of speech contrast, background noise, and amplification. N1 and P2 components varied differently across conditions. In general, cortical processing in noise was influenced by SNR and the spectrum of the speech stimuli. Hearing-aid-induced spectral and temporal changes to the speech stimuli affected P1-N1-P2 components. Amplification produced complex effects on latencies and amplitudes across speech stimuli and CAEP components, and for quiet versus noise conditions. Conclusion: CAEP components reflect spectral and temporal characteristics of speech stimuli and acoustic changes induced by background noise and amplification.