Toward a clinically viable spectro-temporal modulation test for predicting supra-threshold speech reception in hearing-impaired listeners

Abstract

The ability of hearing-impaired listeners to detect spectro-temporal modulation (STM) has been shown to correlate with individual listeners’ speech reception performance. However, the STM detection tests used in previous studies were overly challenging especially for elderly listeners with moderate-to-severe hearing loss. Furthermore, the speech tests considered as a reference were not optimized to yield ecologically valid outcomes that represent real-life speech reception deficits. The present study investigated an STM detection measurement paradigm with individualized audibility compensation, focusing on its clinical viability and relevance as a real-life supra-threshold speech intelligibility predictor. STM thresholds were measured in 13 elderly hearing-impaired native Danish listeners using four previously established (noise-carrier based) and two novel complex-tone carrier based STM stimulus variants. Speech reception thresholds (SRTs) were measured (i) in a realistic spatial speech-on-speech set up and (ii) using co-located stationary noise, both with individualized amplification. In contrast with previous related studies, the proposed measurement paradigm yielded robust STM thresholds for all listeners and conditions. The STM thresholds were positively correlated with the SRTs, whereby significant correlations were found for the realistic speech-test condition but not for the stationary-noise condition. Three STM stimulus variants (one noise-carrier based and two complex-tone based) yielded significant predictions of SRTs, accounting for up to 53% of the SRT variance. The results of the study could form the basis for a clinically viable STM test for quantifying supra-threshold speech reception deficits in aided hearing-impaired listeners.