Listening Effort and Speech Perception Performance Using Different Facemasks.
J Speech Lang Hear Res
; 65(11): 4354-4368, 2022 Nov 17.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2126645
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE:
The aim of this study was to assess the effect of eight different facemasks on speech perception and listening effort in listeners with normal hearing (NH) and hearing loss by manipulating both mask type and background noise levels.METHOD:
Forty adults listened to Quick Speech-in-Noise Test sentences recorded by a female talker through eight different facemasks including a baseline condition with no mask. Listeners were tested in the sound field positioned 6 ft from the loudspeaker. Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) loss and listening effort were measured.RESULTS:
Listeners with NH exhibited a mild SNR loss, whereas those with hearing loss experienced a moderate SNR loss. Scores for the mild hearing loss group were significantly poorer (higher) than those with slight hearing loss. Speech perception performance was best in the no mask, KN95, and surgical mask conditions and poorest in the cloth mask and cloth mask plus face shield conditions for all groups. As listening effort decreased, speech perception increased for all groups.CONCLUSIONS:
The impact of different types of facemasks on speech perception in noise was demonstrated in this study indicating that as the SNR was reduced, listening effort increased and speech perception performance decreased for listeners with NH and slight/mild hearing loss. No mask, KN95, and surgical masks had the least impact on performance, whereas cloth masks posed a significant detriment to communication. If communication is to occur in a background of noise while wearing masks, a KN95 mask and an SNR of at least +15 dB is recommended regardless of hearing status.
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Speech Perception
/
Hearing Loss
Type of study:
Experimental Studies
/
Prognostic study
/
Randomized controlled trials
Limits:
Adult
/
Female
/
Humans
Language:
English
Journal:
J Speech Lang Hear Res
Journal subject:
Audiology
/
Speech-Language Pathology
Year:
2022
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
2022_JSLHR-22-00081
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