Abstract
Abstract The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of auditory training on speech sound perception tasks in patients with steep sloping high-frequency sensorineural hearing loss using amplification with frequency-lowering hearing aids. This study was conducted on 10 adults with steeply sloping high-frequency sensorineural hearing loss using frequency-lowering hearing aids. Pretraining and post-training evaluation tasks were prepared to evaluate the ability to perceive vowels and consonants of Arabic language using lists of consonant-vowel-consonant and vowel-consonant-vowel syllables. Perception tasks included speech sound recognition and discrimination. Arabic exercise tasks were constructed and applied to provide directed training on voiceless consonant speech sounds. The study demonstrated enhancement in consonant perception using frequency lowering, provided the listeners were trained to conjugate between the newly perceived sounds moved to a functional neurophysiological substrate sensitive to lower frequency sounds. Auditory training with frequency-lowering hearing aids improves consonant perception in individuals with steep sloping sensorineural hearing loss.
Highlights
The spectral energy of many consonants – for example, /s/, /∫/, /z/, /s/, /T/, /f/ – is primarily located in the highfrequency region; these sounds are softer in intensity, their contribution towards understanding speech is critical
Providing effective hearing-aid fittings for highfrequency hearing loss is a challenging and important clinical task. The importance of this task becomes more apparent when considering the development of speech and language skills in the hearing-impaired pediatric population [1]
Patients and methods Written consent was obtained from all patients before conduction of the study
Summary
The spectral energy of many consonants – for example, /s/, /∫/, /z/, /s/, /T/, /f/ – is primarily located in the highfrequency region; these sounds are softer in intensity, their contribution towards understanding speech is critical. Severe hearing loss in that region will cause difficulty in discriminating speech sounds [1,2]. A cochlear dead region is an area of the cochlea in which inner hair cells (IHCs) or auditory nerve fibers are not functioning, and may cause such difficulties [3,4]. Providing effective hearing-aid fittings for highfrequency hearing loss is a challenging and important clinical task. The importance of this task becomes more apparent when considering the development of speech and language skills in the hearing-impaired pediatric population [1]
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