Measuring and Modeling Cue Dependent Spatial Release from Masking in the Presence of Typical Delays in the Treatment of Hearing Loss.
Julian Angermeier, Werner Hemmert, Stefan Zirn
PMID 35473484WHAT IT FOUND
A 7-ms delay to one ear reduced the speech-in-noise benefit of spatial separation.
The loss was large when timing cues mattered and small when only level cues remained. This was tested in normal-hearing listeners, not hearing-device users.
Key findings
01When both timing and level cues were available, a 7 ms delay reduced spatial release from masking to 4.63 dB.
02When only timing cues were available, a 7 ms delay reduced spatial release from masking to 1.12 dB.
03When only level cues were available, spatial release from masking was 3.94 dB at a 7 ms delay.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
Ten normal-hearing adults (mean age 25.6 ± 6 years; 2 female; 8 male) were tested, so the results are not direct evidence in hearing-aid or cochlear-implant users. The delay was simulated on a headphone channel and the cues were manipulated, not delivered by the actual hearing devices. The reverberant cafeteria results were model predictions only; the authors say they should be verified experimentally. The study used German matrix sentences in an audiometric booth, which may not match everyday listening.
Declared interests
MED-EL, a cochlear implant manufacturer, funded the study, and several authors' institutions have received research grants from MED-EL.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that hearing-aid or cochlear-implant users will lose speech-in-noise benefit from a 7-ms delay. It tested 10 normal-hearing listeners with simulated delays and manipulated signals, not people using the actual devices.