Understanding Aided Speech Perception in Noise

The overarching hypothesis to be evaluated using this protocol is that age-related hearing loss (ARHL) leads to shifts in the functional spatial boundaries between segregated and integrated auditory streams, and that hearing aid intervention that relies on directional processing schemes is most effective for those that have the poorest spatial sensitivity. One key component of the research design is to measure both behavioral and neurophysiological indices of an individual's spatial segregation boundary. The second key component is to measure the cost or benefit associated with hearing aid intervention in older hearing-impaired listeners. The final component is to relate cost and benefit of hearing aid intervention to spatial sensitivity measures that might predict the efficacy of clinical intervention.