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Semin Hear 2023; 44(02): 124-139
DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-1767695
Review Article

Performance Monitoring and Cognitive Inhibition during a Speech-in-Noise Task in Older Listeners

David B. Ryan
1   Hearing and Balance Research Program, James H. Quillen VA Medical Center, Mountain Home, Tennessee
2   Department of Psychology, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee
3   Department of Head and Neck Surgery and Communication Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
,
Mark A. Eckert
4   Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Hearing Research Program, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, North Carolina
,
Eric W. Sellers
2   Department of Psychology, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee
,
Kim S. Schairer
1   Hearing and Balance Research Program, James H. Quillen VA Medical Center, Mountain Home, Tennessee
5   Department of Audiology and Speech Language Pathology, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee
,
Matthew T. McBee
2   Department of Psychology, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee
,
Elizabeth A. Ridley
2   Department of Psychology, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee
,
Sherri L. Smith
3   Department of Head and Neck Surgery and Communication Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
6   Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
7   Department of Population Health Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
8   Audiology and Speech Pathology Service, Durham Veterans Affairs Healthcare System, Durham, North Carolina
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Abstract

The goal of this study was to examine the effect of hearing loss on theta and alpha electroencephalography (EEG) frequency power measures of performance monitoring and cognitive inhibition, respectively, during a speech-in-noise task. It was hypothesized that hearing loss would be associated with an increase in the peak power of theta and alpha frequencies toward easier conditions compared to normal hearing adults. The shift would reflect how hearing loss modulates the recruitment of listening effort to easier listening conditions. Nine older adults with normal hearing (ONH) and 10 older adults with hearing loss (OHL) participated in this study. EEG data were collected from all participants while they completed the words-in-noise task. It hypothesized that hearing loss would also have an effect on theta and alpha power. The ONH group showed an inverted U-shape effect of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), but there were limited effects of SNR on theta or alpha power in the OHL group. The results of the ONH group support the growing body of literature showing effects of listening conditions on alpha and theta power. The null results of listening condition in the OHL group add to a smaller body of literature, suggesting that listening effort research conditions should have near ceiling performance.

Keywords

alpha power - EEG - effortful listening - theta power - word recognition

Disclaimer

The content of this article does not represent the views of the U.S. government or the Department of Veterans Affairs.


Supplementary Material



Publication History

Article published online:
28 April 2023

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