Identifying Links Between Latent Memory and Speech Recognition Factors.
Adam K Bosen, Gianna M Doria
PMID 37882100WHAT IT FOUND
The same memory ability seemed to link free recall and reading span to degraded sentence recognition across easy and hard listening levels.
Digit span mostly reflected a different ability not tied to sentence recognition. This does not show that training memory helps speech recognition.
Key findings
01Easier and harder listening levels tracked the same individual difference in sentence recognition.
02The memory tasks were best explained by two separate abilities, not one.
03One of those abilities was linked to sentence recognition, while the other was not.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The reported sentence recognition data came from 21 lab participants, while remote participants contributed only memory task data. All participants were young adults with normal hearing, so it does not show what happens in children, older adults, or people with hearing loss. The study used PRESTO sentences and a 16-channel vocoder, so the link may not generalize to other speech materials or everyday listening. The authors did not test whether the memory tasks are separate from other abilities such as attention or general intelligence. The models were simplified and did not include all known features of working memory or speech recognition.
Declared interests
The supplied text does not include an author conflict-of-interest declaration. The publication types indicate NIH extramural research support.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that training memory will improve speech recognition. The study measured associations among task scores in young adults with normal hearing and gave no treatment.