Speech perception in noise in elderly hearing aids users with different microphones and noise reduction algorithm

ABSTRACT

Purpose

To evaluate speech recognition in noise on elderly, new users of hearing aids with directional microphones and noise reduction, and check which feature provides better speech intelligibility.

Methods

The participants were 36 individuals between 60 and 87 years old with sensorineural hearing loss from mild to moderately severe. The Sentence List test in Brazilian Portuguese was applied, in sound field, obtaining the Sentence Recognition in Noise Percentage Rates (SRNPR) with hearing aids, with four different settings: omnidirectional microphone (OM); noise reduction and omnidirectional microphone (NR + OM); directional microphone (DM); and the noise reduction and directional microphone (NR + DM).

Results

When speech and noise focused at 0°/0° azimuth, SRNPR median scores were 76.74% with the use of OM; 84.95% with NR + OM; 84.40% with DM and 86.63% with NR + DM. When comparing results, there were differences between OM x DM; OM x NR + DM; NR + OM and DM; NR+ OM and NR+ DM. When noise focused at 0°/180° azimuth, the SRNPR median were 77.4% with the use of OM; 83.79% with NR + OM; 89.46% with DM and 91.9 with NR + DM. When comparing results, there were differences between the performances with OM e DM; OM and NR + DM; NR + OM and DM; and NR + OM and NR + DM.

Conclusion

Better results were found with the use of NR and DM in both situations of assessment, however, in the situation with noise at 0°/180° azimuth the DM provided a more satisfactory performance.

Hearing; Hearing aids; Speech perception; Hearing loss; Aged