Adaptation and Validation of the Perceptual Performance Test in Malayalam.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The discrepancies between the objective and subjective measurements used to select and fit hearing aids indirectly impact the perceived benefit and perception in the presence of noise. This study aimed to bridge the gap between objective and subjective measurements in hearing aid fitting by adapting and validating the "Perceptual Performance Test (PPT)" in Malayalam. Subjects and. METHODS: Standardized Malayalam-language sentences were used to adapt PPT and administer it to 65 native Malayalam speakers (30 normal and 35 hearing impaired). Performance and perception speech recognition thresholds in noise (SRTN) and Performance-Perceptual Discrepancy (PPDIS) were evaluated at various noise levels along with Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly (HHIE) or Adults (HHIA). RESULTS: Both perceptual and performance SRTNs were better among normal-hearing individuals than in the hearing-impaired group. Moreover, the participants with hearing impairment were found to have a significant effect of noise level on both the measures, which was otherwise not seen among normal-hearing individuals. The normative criteria for PPDIS were established to categorize the individuals as under-, over-, or accurate estimators. The performance and perception outcomes varied significantly between groups (normal hearing and hearing impaired) and across noise levels. Furthermore, there was a positive correlation between perceptual and performance SRTNs with emotional and social subscales and total HHIE/A scores. Additionally, a negative association was noted between PPDIS values and HHIE/A scores. CONCLUSIONS: The adapted test is a valid and reliable tool for evaluating the benefit of hearing aids. PPDIS can provide crucial information to audiologists regarding an individual's judgement about their hearing ability, with an explanation for the discrepancy between objective and subjective reports of hearing impairments.

Deep band modulated phrase perception in quiet and noise in individuals with auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder and sensorineural hearing loss.

CONTEXT: Deep band modulation (DBM) improves speech perception in individuals with learning disability and older adults, who had temporal impairment in them. However, it is unclear on perception of DBM phrases at quiet and noise conditions in individuals with auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder (ANSD) and sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL), as these individuals suffer from temporal impairment. AIM: The aim is to study the effect of DBM and noise on phrase perception in individuals with normal hearing, SNHL, and ANSD. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: A factorial design was used to study deep-band-modulated phrase perception in quiet and at noise. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty participants in each group (normal, SNHL, and ANSD) were included to assess phrase perception on four lists of each unprocessed (UP) and DBM phrases at different signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) (-1, -3, and -5 dB SNR), which were presented at most comfortable level. In addition, a temporal processing was determined by gap detection threshold test. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: A mixed analysis of variance was used to investigate main and interaction effects of conditions, noise, and groups. Further, a Pearson product moment correlation was used to document relationship between phrase perception and temporal processing among study participants in each experimental condition. RESULTS: In each group, a significant improvement was observed in DBM phrase perception over UP phrase recognition in quiet and noise conditions. Although a significant improvement was observed, the benefit of recognition from DBM over UP is negligible at -5 dB SNR in both SNHL and ANSD groups. In addition, as expected, a significant improvement in phrase perception in each condition was found in normal hearing than SNHL followed by ANSD. Further, in both atypical groups, a strong negative correlation was found between phrase perception and gap detection threshold in each of the experimental condition. CONCLUSION: This is to conclude that temporal envelope cues from DBM were made available for phrase perception in those individuals who have temporal impairment.

Recognition of Deep Band Modulated Consonants in Quiet and Noise in Older Individuals with and Without Hearing Loss.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of temporal envelope enhancement using deep band modulation (DBM) on consonant identification scores (CIS) and transfer of features such as place of articulation, manner of articulation, and voicing. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data were collected from four groups of ten participants each. These were grouped into younger (YNH) and older adult (ONH) individuals with normal hearing and younger (YHI) and older adult (OHI) individuals with hearing impairment who had mild to moderate sensorineural hearing loss. The CIS and transfer features for 21 vowel-consonant-vowel (VCV) syllables in unprocessed and DBM conditions with quiet and noise were obtained from each participant. RESULTS: The results showed that consonant identification scores (CIS) in DBM conditions was significantly better than in unprocessed conditions in quiet and at 5 dB and 10 dB signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs). This was true in each group. Voicing was transmitted better than other features in each condition for all the groups except for the YHI group, for whom place of articulation was conveyed best in unprocessed conditions and manner of articulation was transmitted best in DBM conditions. Furthermore, in the YHI, ONH, and OHI groups, manner of articulation was conveyed better than place of articulation in both unprocessed and DBM conditions. CONCLUSION: At reduced SNRs, cues from DBM enabled the listener to repeat the heard VCV syllables. The effect of aging and the combined effects of aging and hearing loss are partly lessened by DBM through enhancement of the manner of articulation in VCV syllables.