Medical Journal of the Islamic Republic Of Iran
مجله پزشکی جمهوری اسلامی ایران
Med J Islam Repub Iran
Medical Sciences
http://mjiri.iums.ac.ir
2
journal2
1016-1430
2251-6840
8
10.18869/mjiri
14
8888
13
en
jalali
1394
10
1
gregorian
2016
1
1
30
1
online
1
fulltext
en
Effect of signal to noise ratio on the speech perception ability of older adults
Audiology
Audiology
Original Research
Original Research
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Background: </strong>Speech perception ability depends on auditory and extra-auditory elements. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is an extra-auditory element that has an effect on the ability to normally follow speech and maintain a conversation. Speech in noise perception difficulty is a common complaint of the elderly. In this study, the importance of SNR magnitude as an extra-auditory effect on speech perception in noise was examined in the elderly.</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;"><strong> Methods</strong>: The speech perception in noise test (SPIN) was conducted on 25 elderly participants who had bilateral low–mid frequency normal hearing thresholds at three SNRs in the presence of ipsilateral white noise. These participants were selected by available sampling method. Cognitive screening was done using the Persian Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) test.</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;"><strong> Results</strong>: Independent T- test, ANNOVA and Pearson Correlation Index were used for statistical analysis. There was a significant difference in word discrimination scores at silence and at three SNRs in both ears (p≤0.047). Moreover, there was a significant difference in word discrimination scores for paired SNRs (0 and +5, 0 and +10, and +5 and +10 (p≤0.04)). No significant correlation was found between age and word recognition scores at silence and at three SNRs in both ears (p≥0.386).</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;"><strong> Conclusion</strong>: Our results revealed that decreasing the signal level and increasing the competing noise considerably reduced the speech perception ability in normal hearing at low–mid thresholds in the elderly. These results support the critical role of SNRs for speech perception ability in the elderly. Furthermore, our results revealed that normal hearing elderly participants required compensatory strategies to maintain normal speech perception in challenging acoustic situations.</p>
Word Discrimination Score, Signal to Noise Ratio, Elderly.
273
279
http://mjiri.iums.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-1-974&slc_lang=en&sid=1
Elahe
Shojaei
elaheshojaei49@gmail .com
200319475328460021687
200319475328460021687
No
Department of Audiology, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Hassan
Ashayeri
ashayeri.neuroscientist@yahoo.com
200319475328460021688
200319475328460021688
Yes
Department of Basic Sciences in Rehabilitation, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Zahra
Jafari
jafari.z@iums.ac.ir
200319475328460021689
200319475328460021689
No
Department of Basic Sciences in Rehabilitation, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Mohammad Reza
Zarrin Dast
zarinmr@tums.ac.ir
200319475328460021690
200319475328460021690
No
Department of Pharmacology, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Koorosh
Kamali
kkamali71@yahoo.com
200319475328460021691
200319475328460021691
No
Department of Public Health, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran.