The Influence of Semantic Context on the Intelligibility Benefit From Speech Glimpses in Younger and Older Adults

Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research, Год журнала: 2025, Номер 68(05), С. 2499 - 2516

Опубликована: Апрель 15, 2025

Speech is often masked by background sound that fluctuates over time. Fluctuations in masker intensity can reveal glimpses of speech support intelligibility, but older adults have frequently been shown to benefit less from than younger when listening sentences. Recent work, however, suggests may leverage as much, or more, naturalistic stories, potentially because the availability semantic context stories. The current study directly investigated whether helps released a fluctuating (modulated) more adults. In two experiments, we reduced and extended information sentence stimuli modulated unmodulated maskers for intelligibility was assessed. We found improves both Both age groups also exhibit better an (stationary) masker, compared Semantic amplified gained glimpses, there no indication amplification led greater If anything, benefitted more. results suggest deficit masking-release generalizes situations which available. That previous research during story other factors, such thematic knowledge, motivation, cognition, amplify under conditions.

Язык: Английский

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Language-agnostic, Automated Assessment of Listeners’ Speech Recall Using Large Language Models

Trends in Hearing, Год журнала: 2025, Номер 29

Опубликована: Май 1, 2025

Speech-comprehension difficulties are common among older people. Standard speech tests do not fully capture such because the poorly resemble context-rich, story-like nature of ongoing conversation and typically available only in a country's dominant/official language (e.g., English), leading to inaccurate scores for native speakers other languages. Assessments naturalistic, story multiple languages require accurate, time-efficient scoring. The current research leverages modern large models (LLMs) English 10 automate generation high-quality, spoken stories scoring recall different Participants listened freely recalled short (in quiet/clear babble noise) their language. Large model text-embeddings LLM prompt engineering with semantic similarity analyses score revealed sensitivity known effects temporal order, primacy/recency, background noise, high across work overcomes limitations associated simple materials testing closed native-speaker groups data varying length details can be mapped accuracy. full automation provides an important step toward comprehension assessments naturalistic clinical applicability.

Язык: Английский

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Hearing loss is associated with gray matter differences in older adults at risk for and with Alzheimer’s disease

Aging Brain, Год журнала: 2021, Номер 1, С. 100018 - 100018

Опубликована: Янв. 1, 2021

Using data from the COMPASS-ND study we investigated associations between hearing loss and hippocampal volume as well cortical thickness in older adults with subjective cognitive decline (SCD), mild impairment (MCI), Alzheimer's dementia (AD). SCD participants greater pure-tone exhibited lower volume, but more left superior temporal gyrus right pars opercularis. Greater speech-in-noise reception thresholds were associated bilaterally across much of cortex AD. The AD group also showed a trend towards worse compared to group.

Язык: Английский

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Bursts of vagus nerve stimulation paired with auditory rehabilitation fail to improve speech sound perception in rats with hearing loss

iScience, Год журнала: 2024, Номер 27(4), С. 109527 - 109527

Опубликована: Март 19, 2024

Hearing loss can lead to long-lasting effects on the central nervous system, and current therapies, such as auditory training rehabilitation, show mixed success in improving perception speech comprehension. Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is an adjunctive therapy that be paired with rehabilitation facilitate behavioral recovery after neural injury. However, VNS for has not been tested severe hearing or significant damage peripheral receptors. This study investigated utility of pairing passive active a rat model noise-induced loss. Although helped rats improve their frequency discrimination, learn novel discrimination tasks, achieve speech-in-noise performance similar normal controls, did enhance sound perception. These results highlight limitations suggest optimal benefits from neuromodulation may require restored signaling.

Язык: Английский

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Map plasticity following noise exposure in auditory cortex of rats: implications for disentangling neural correlates of tinnitus and hyperacusis

Frontiers in Neuroscience, Год журнала: 2024, Номер 18

Опубликована: Май 31, 2024

Both tinnitus and hyperacusis, likely triggered by hearing loss, can be attributed to maladaptive plasticity in auditory perception. However, owing their co-occurrence, disentangling neural mechanisms proves difficult. We hypothesized that the correlates of are associated with activities low-intensity tones, while hyperacusis is linked responses moderate- high-intensity tones.

Язык: Английский

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