Effects of Various Extents of High-Frequency Hearing Loss on Speech Recognition and Gap Detection at Low Frequencies in Patients with Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Abstract

This study explored whether the time-compressed speech perception varied with the degree of hearing loss in high-frequency sensorineural hearing loss (HF SNHL) individuals. 65 HF SNHL individuals with different cutoff frequencies were recruited and further divided into mildly, moderately, and/or severely affected subgroups in terms of the averaged thresholds of all frequencies exhibiting hearing loss. Time-compressed speech recognition scores under both quiet and noisy conditions and gap detection thresholds within low frequencies that had normal thresholds were obtained from all patients and compared with data from 11 age-matched individuals with normal hearing threshold at all frequencies. Correlations of the time-compressed speech recognition scores with the extents of HF SNHL and with the 1 kHz gap detection thresholds were studied across all participants. We found that the time-compressed speech recognition scores were significantly affected by and correlated with the extents of HF SNHL. The time-compressed speech recognition scores also correlated with the 1 kHz gap detection thresholds except when the compression ratio of speech was 0.8 under quiet condition. Above all, the extents of HF SNHL were significantly correlated with the 1 kHz gap thresholds.

Inner hair cell synapse density influences auditory processing

“…In humans with sensorineural hearing loss, longer gap detection thresholds correlate with poorer speech perception (45)(46)(47). Our results show that gap-detection is diminished with synaptopathy and improved with supranormal IHC synapse density, thus supporting the notion that noise-and age-induced synaptopathy (3,11,15) contribute to the deficits in auditory processing seen in humans.…”

“…Self-reporting studies indicate that 10% to 20% of adult humans with normal audiometric thresholds have hearing difficulties (56)(57)(58)(59). Furthermore, humans with sensorineural hearing loss, particularly in the high frequencies, have longer gap-detection thresholds that correlate with poorer speech perception (60)(61)(62)(63)(64). It has been proposed that cochlear synaptopathy could contribute to this highly prevalent auditory dysfunction (3,11,15).…”

Characteristic and Sex Differences in Auditory Function and Cochlear Pathophysiology in a Noise-exposed Cohort: A Cross-sectional Study

“…Three buttons were presented on a monitor to the participant who was asked to indicate which one of the three stimuli were different (i.e., which of the three stimuli was inserted with a gap). Details of the GDT test may be found in Li et al 2017 [18].…”

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“…with poorer speech perception [60][61][62][63][64]. It has been proposed that cochlear synaptopathy could contribute to this highly prevalent auditory dysfunction [3,11,15].…”