Objectives Two methods, paired comparisons and ratings, were investigated when comparing two hearing-aid programs in live group conversations. Design Two conversation scenarios were staged in an ordinary office setting. During the conversations, the participants either switched between two hearing-aid programs or used a fixed program. After each conversation, they rated hearing-aid function, ease to hear and speak, and the flow of the conversation. Study sample Experienced hearing-aid users (n = 27) with moderate hearing loss who were fitted with binaural hearing aids with two directionality programs. Results The methods showed consistent results: the program preferred in paired comparisons also received the highest function ratings when used as a fixed program. On a population level, the paired comparisons method was slightly more effective in finding differences between the programs. On an individual level, only the paired comparisons method revealed a difference between the hearing-aid programs. Conversation flow ratings were generally high for both methods. Conclusions Both psychophysical methods worked well for evaluating hearing-aid settings during live group conversations, and the results of the two methods generally agreed. The paired comparison method was slightly more effective in finding differences between the two hearing-aid settings. Ratings of conversation flow were generally high for both methods.

ABSTRACT: Binaural speech intelligibility is crucial for effective communication, especially in complex acoustic environments characterized by noise, reverberation, and hearing-aid signal processing. Noise masks speech signals, while reverberation causes temporal smearing, compounding speech perception challenges. Hearing aids, designed to enhance speech intelligibility, employ various signal processing techniques such as Wide Dynamic Range Compression (WDRC), noise suppression algorithms, and frequency compression. However, their effectiveness varies depending on the acoustic scenario and individual listener characteristics. Binaural hearing aids, which preserve spatial cues, offer pote ntial advantages in separating speech from noise but are affected by reverberation that blurs spatial information. This paper explores the intricate interactions between noise, reverberation, and hearing-aid processing strategies, emphasizing the importance of personalized fittings and adaptive algorithms. Understanding these interactions is vital for designing advanced hearing aid systems that optimize binaural speech intelligibility in real-world listening environments.

Background and Aim: Generally, peripheral hearing loss in the elderly is associated with decreased auditory processing ability. Researchers have drawn attention to the role of auditory processing in the success of hearing amplification. The present study investigates the relationship between auditory processing and benefit and satisfaction of binaural hearing aids in the elderly. Methods: Forty-seven elderly users (aged 58–85 years) of binaural hearing aids, all of whom exhibited symmetrically mild to moderate sensory-neural hearing loss, completed the questionnaires of International Outcome Inventory for Hearing Aids (IOI-HA) and Abbreviated Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit (APHAB) and the Persian version of Words-in- Noise (WIN) and two-pair Dichotic Digits (DD) tests. Results: Signal-to-Noise Ratio-50% (SNR-50) and Non-Dominant Ear Score (NDES) collectively explained 16% of the binaural hearing aid benefit variance. NDES accounted for 14% of the variance observed in satisfaction. Conclusion: Binaural hearing aid benefit and satisfaction in the elderly were not similarly related to auditory processing abilities. NDES alone is a weak but significant predictor of satisfaction and in combination with WIN SNR-50 is a moderate predictor of benefit. Keywords: Hearing aid; dichotic listening; speech perception in noise; satisfaction; benefit;elderly

Deep neural network-based direction of arrival (DOA) estimation systems often rely on spatial features as input to learn a mapping for estimating the DOA of multiple talkers. Aiming to improve the accuracy of multi-talker DOA estimation for binaural hearing aids with a known number of active talkers, we investigate the usage of periodicity features as a footprint of speech signals in combination with spatial features as input to a convolutional neural network (CNN). In particular, we propose a multi-talker DOA estimation system employing a two-stage CNN architecture that utilizes cross-power spectrum (CPS) phase as spatial features and an auditory-inspired periodicity feature called periodicity degree (PD) as spectral features. The two-stage CNN incorporates a PD feature reduction stage prior to the joint processing of PD and CPS phase features. We investigate different design choices for the CNN architecture, including varying temporal reduction strategies and spectro-temporal filtering approaches. The performance of the proposed system is evaluated in static source scenarios with 2–3 talkers in two reverberant environments under varying signal-to-noise ratios using recorded background noises. To evaluate the benefit of combining PD features with CPS phase features, we consider baseline systems that utilize either only CPS phase features or combine CPS phase and magnitude spectrogram features. Results show that combining PD and CPS phase features in the proposed system consistently improves DOA estimation accuracy across all conditions, outperforming the two baseline systems. Additionally, the PD feature reduction stage in the proposed system improves DOA estimation accuracy while significantly reducing computational complexity compared to a baseline system without this stage, demonstrating its effectiveness for multi-talker DOA estimation.

Late identification of hearing impairments in children has significant negative effect on child development, with speech and communication skills to be the most severely affected. research data indicate considerable variability in speech and communication outcomes among late-identified hearing impaired children. The aim of the current study was to examine the audiological indicators in late-identified hearing-impaired children and their correlations with the level of speech and communication development. 23 children aged 5 to 8 years with bilateral permanent sensorineural hearing loss of moderate to severe degree participated in the study. All children were fitted with binaural hearing aids after the age of 2.5 years (average age of first hearing aids fitting was 4.5 years). Hearing examination including speech audiometry and the assessment of the level of speech development and communication skills were utilized. results revealed a significant decline in performance among hearing-impaired children in all speech tests, both in quiet and noisy environments, when compared with normative data. A considerable delay in the level of speech and communicative development of hearing-impaired children compared with the normative data was revealed. The results indicate that late hearing aid fitting may cause secondary impairments of auditory function, including central auditory processing disorders, which may develop against the background of prolonged auditory deprivation. The importance of the early intervention programs and the implementation of the prompt hearing screening for young and preschool children to identify delayed hearing loss is emphasized.

<p>Speech perception in noisy environments is reduced in human with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) due to masking. Moderate SNHL cannot be cured medically hence masking effects should be reduced to enhance speech perception. To reduce masking, processing delay and hardware complexity the present paper is proposed a scheme to partition the voice signal into two signals which are complementary to each other by using the filter-bank summation method (FBSM) with a set of time-varying recursive band pass filters. Performance of the filter is evaluated with following measures: perceptual evaluation of speech quality (PESQ), mean opinion score (MOS) for speech quality and modified rhyme test (MRT) for speech intelligibility. The test signals used for the evaluation of quality are a syllable and a word and for the evaluation of intelligibility 300 monosyllabic words are used. The results demonstrated an increase in the quality and intelligibility of processed speech in a noisy environment. As a result, there is an enhancement in perception of processed speech in a noisy environment.</p>

Many auditory system functions improve under the influence of music. The binaural hearing also plays a critical role in speech-in-noise perception. The present study was done to investigate the effect of music on speech-in-noise perception in binaural and monaural hearing aid users. This study was conducted on 40 unilateral and bilateral hearing aid users aged 25 to 55, including 23 female and 17 male individuals. The Q-SIN test and SSQ questionnaire were used to investigate the effect of music on speech-in-noise perception before and after the treatment. Results of the Q-SIN test showed that music reduced SNR-50 and SNR LOSS, which was more evident in bilateral hearing aid users (p < 0.05). Results of the SSQ questionnaire also indicated that after the 3-month reevaluation, the questionnaire scores increased, and the increase was higher in the bilateral hearing aid users (p < 0.05). Regularly listening to music on a programmed basis improves speech-in-noise perception. Results of the present study showed that bilateral hearing aids had a higher effect on improving speech-in-noise perception than unilateral hearing aids.

Abstract Introduction: There is a dearth of standardized recorded tests for the assessment of speech-in-noise in Marathi. This study aims to fill this lacuna by developing a computerized Marathi open-set sentence-in-noise test; to investigate the significance of the difference between signal-to-noise ratio-50 (SNR-50) of adults with hearing loss (AWHL) and adults with normal hearing sensitivity (AWNH); and to investigate the difference between the aided versus unaided SNR-50 in AWHL. Method: A multi-centric study was conducted to develop normative data for SNR-50 in 130 AWNH using MISHA-Random Adaptive Marathi Sentence in Noise (M-RAMSIN). SNR-50 was compared in AWHL and their age-matched controls, and SNR loss was determined. Thirty AWHL were tested for SNR-50 in unaided and aided conditions to determine if there was a significant difference in the two conditions. Results: Normative values for SNR-50 under headphones and in sound field were 2 dB and 0 dB, respectively. There was a significant difference in SNR-50 of AWNH and AWHL. The median SNR loss of AWHL was 6 dB. There was a low positive correlation between SNR-50 and audiometric thresholds in AWHL. Aided SNR-50 was significantly better than the unaided SNR-50 in AWHL. Aided SNR-50 was better with binaural hearing aids than monaural hearing aids. Conclusion: M-RAMSIN is time efficient and reliable tool with good construct validity since it documented the difference in performance of AWNH and AWHL. Poor correlation of SNR-50 with audiometric thresholds signifies the differential effects of SNHL on audibility and distortional effects. The test can document the benefit from hearing aid fitting; thus has the potential to be incorporated into the hearing aid validation process for Marathi-speaking AWHL.

Evaluation of Cochlear Implantation in Children With Cochlear Nerve Absence or Deficiency.

A vestibular schwannoma is a benign tumor; however, the schwannoma itself and interventions can cause sensorineural hearing loss. Most vestibular schwannomas are unilateral tumors that affect hearing only on one side. Attention has focused on improving the quality of life for patients with unilateral hearing loss and therapeutic interventions to address this issue have been emphasized. Herein, we encountered a patient who was a candidate for hearing preservation surgery based on preoperative findings and had nonserviceable hearing after the surgery, according to the Gardner-Robertson classification. Postoperatively, the patient had decreased listening comprehension and ability to localize sound sources. He was fitted with bilateral hearing aids, and his ability to localize sound sources improved. Although the patient had postoperative nonserviceable hearing on the affected side and age-related hearing loss on the unaffected side, hearing aids in both ears were useful for his daily life. Therefore, the patient was able to maintain a binaural hearing effect and the ability to localize the sound source improved. This report emphasizes the importance of hearing preservation with vestibular schwannomas, and the demand for hearing loss rehabilitation as a postoperative complication can increase, even if hearing loss is nonserviceable.

Background: Individuals with sensorineural hearing loss can regain some lost auditory function with the help of hearing aids, but it may be insufficient under non – optimal condition. Future research aspect lies in processing strategy and training to enhance effects of auditory training and rehabilitation of patients using hearing aids. So research is done to supplement the rehabilitation process with patient centric education, counseling and auditory training to help the listener compensate for loss of auditory signal and improve communication. Whether age-related hearing loss can be decreased by auditory training along with hearing aid is to be researched as it is not clear from previous scientific works whether the outcome is significantly better than those with hearing aid who have not received training. Aims and Objectives: The aim of the study was to determine the role of auditory training for improvement of auditory perception in aged patients with age-related sensorineural hearing loss using binaural hearing aid. Materials and Methods: This prospective observational study was conducted in Otorhinolaryngology department of Burdwan Medical College and Hospital, Burdwan, a rural based tertiary care hospital in Burdwan for 2 months from June 2022 to July 2022 and 50 aged patients with audiologically proven age related sensorineural hearing loss using hearing aid were included in this study after through history taking and meticulous clinical examination after getting institutional ethics committee clearance. Patients were divided in two groups, 25 in experimental group (with auditory training) and 25 in control group (without auditory training) and result was analyzed. Results: Formal auditory training was able to improve the central auditory skills of hearing aid users. Improvement was noted in an objective neurophysiologic correlate and perceived by patients, as revealed in a self-assessment questionnaire. Conclusion: Formal auditory training in adult hearing aid users promotes: Improvement in auditory skills for sound localization, memory for nonverbal sounds in sequence, auditory closure, and figure-to-ground for verbal sounds. Greater benefits with hearing aids in reverberant and noisy environments.

A vehicle whistle database for evaluation of outdoor acoustic source localization and tracking using an intermediate-sized microphone array

Evaluation of performance of hearing aid users using Acoustic Change Complex (ACC) and behavioral measures

Background: The psychological effects of hearing aids and auditory training are underinvestigated. Objective: To assess the short- and long-term effects of an industry-developed auditory training on tinnitus-related distress, perceived stress, and psychological epiphenomena in patients with chronic tinnitus and mild-to-moderate hearing loss. Method: One-hundred-seventy-seven gender-stratified patients were randomized to an immediate [IIG] or delayed [DIG] intervention group. Following binaural hearing aid fitting, participants completed a CD-enhanced 14-days self-study program. Applying a randomized-controlled cross-over design, psychological measures were obtained at four times: pre-treatment/wait [IIG: t1; DIG: wait], post-treatment/pre-treatment [IIG: t2; DIG: t1], follow-up/post-treatment [IIG: t3; DIG: t2], and follow-up [DIG: t3]. Between- and within-group analyses investigated treatment-related effects and their stability at a 70-day follow-up. Results: Overall, distress symptom severity was mild. Unlike the DIG, the IIG showed significant improvements in tinnitus-related distress. Some psychological epiphenomena, notably anxiety, slightly improved in both groups. Within-group analyses demonstrated the stability of the tinnitus-distress-related effects, alongside uncontrolled improvements of perceived stress and mood-related symptoms at follow-up. Conclusions: The investigated hearing therapy lastingly improves tinnitus-related distress in mildly distressed patients with chronic tinnitus and mild-to-moderate hearing loss. Beneficial psychological knock-on effects deserve further investigation.

Spatial speech detection for binaural hearing aids using deep phoneme classifiers

Current hearing aids are limited with respect to speech-specific optimization for spatial sound sources to perform speech enhancement. In this study, we therefore propose an approach for spatial detection of speech based on sound source localization and blind optimization of speech enhancement for binaural hearing aids. We have combined an estimator for the direction of arrival (DOA), featuring high spatial resolution but no specialization to speech, with a measure of speech quality with low spatial resolution obtained after directional filtering. The DOA estimator provides spatial sound source probability in the frontal horizontal plane. The measure of speech quality is based on phoneme representations obtained from a deep neural network, which is part of a hybrid automatic speech recognition (ASR) system. Three ASR-based speech quality measures (ASQM) are explored: entropy, mean temporal distance (M-Measure), matched phoneme (MaP) filtering. We tested the approach in four acoustic scenes with one speaker and either a localized or a diffuse noise source at various signal-to-noise ratios (SNR) in anechoic or reverberant conditions. The effects of incorrect spatial filtering and noise were analyzed. We show that two of the three ASQMs (M-Measure, MaP filtering) are suited to reliably identify the speech target in different conditions. The system is not adapted to the environment and does not require a-priori information about the acoustic scene or a reference signal to estimate the quality of the enhanced speech signal. Nevertheless, our approach performs well in all acoustic scenes tested and varying SNRs and reliably detects incorrect spatial filtering angles.

Outcomes of children with sensorineural hearing loss fitted with binaural hearing aids at a pediatric public hospital in South Africa

Improved spatialization performance for joint speech dereverberation and noise reduction in binaural hearing aids

This work presents a rehabilitation system for upper limbs performed by the acquisition of electromyographic signals (EMG) of a patient with movement limitation after stroke. To determine the physical gestures of the arm, the MYO Armband is used, and to increase the default number of movements (4 gestures), a recognition algorithm is performed using artificial neural networks. MATLAB has been used for the extraction of a vector containing the characteristics through probabilistic signals treatment and to determinate the angles of rotation. In addition, an immersive environment is developed in Unity 3D software allowing the user to experience a more motivating therapy. As a peripheral output, HTC VIVE glasses and binaural hearing aids were chosen. To validate this proposal, five users with an age range of 49 to 69 years have made 200 tests in total with the proposed physical gestures (7). In addition, the qualitative validation of the system is done through the SUS usability test and as a result it is obtained (55.25 ± 0.18), demonstrating good acceptance.

To assess speech recognition in users of mono- and binaural hearing aids (HA) with dynamic environment control system (DECS). 25 HA users with symmetrical bilateral moderate to severe sensorineural hearing loss and 10 individuals with normal hearing underwent speech audiometry in a free sound field by listening to an adaptive Russian matrix sentence test with a background noise. The testing was conducted for hearing impaired patients with one and two HA. The Speech Recognition Thresholds in noise (SRTN) using HA with DESC and using HA without DESC were compared. The dichotic digits test and the rapidly alternating speech perception test were performed to evaluate the central auditory system function. The SRTN in normal hearing listeners was -16.4±1.9 dB SNR. In the case of monaural using HA without DESC the SRTN was -2.5±4.4 dB SNR, using HA with DESC it was -5.8±4.0 dB SNR; in the case of using binaural HAs it was -6.3±3.8 dB SNR and -9.9±3.1 dB SNR accordingly. HAs with Dynamic Environment Control System are highly effective for speech perception in noisy environments. Binaural HA use is more effective than monaural HA use regardless of HA model. Speech recognition in noisy environments in cases of binaural HA use correlates significantly with results of tests assessing the central auditory system function.