Do individual perceptual abilities affect speech recognition with spatial hearing aid processing?

Abstract

Individuals with hearing loss experience persistent communication difficulties in noisy conditions, even with specialized hearing aid (HA) processing. Little is known about how HA processing interacts with auditory perceptual abilities required for speech-in-noise listening, possibly leading to mismatched parameters for certain listeners. We investigated how speech recognition with spatial HA processing—intended to reduce signals from off-axis locations—is affected by individual auditory perceptual abilities. 16 listeners with hearing loss completed a sentence recognition in noise task with wearable HAs in omnidirectional processing or binaural beamforming settings. On- (0°) or off-axis ( + 90°) target sentences were mixed with gender-matched two-talker maskers that were either spatially separated or co-located. The Portable Automated Rapid Testing program was used to obtain individual binaural (Spatial Release from Masking task) and monaural processing (Spectrotemporal Modulation Detection task) measures. Data show positive associations between perceptual abilities and speech recognition with omnidirectional processing across target and noise locations and negative associations with beamforming for off-axis targets in spatially separated noise. Relative associations of binaural and monaural processing abilities varied by test condition. The study has implications for individualizing spatial processing parameters in clinical HA fittings. [Work supported by NIH-K01DC018324.]