无线助听技术对听障患者噪声下言语识别能力的影响

The Improvement of Speech Recognition in Noise with Wireless Technology to the Hearing Impaired

目的探讨助听器无线技术对听障患者噪声环境下言语识别能力的影响。方法20例长期佩戴助听器的双侧感音神经性听力损失患者双耳选配具有900Sync无线技术的助听器,在距离扬声器3米和6米位置,分别在仅使用助听器麦克风(HA)、无线音频传输并开启助听器麦克风(900Sync+HA)、仅无线音频传输(900Sync)三种模式下进行普通话快速噪声下言语测试(M-Quick SIN),言语声给声强度为70 dB SPL,竞争声按照-5、0、5、10、15、20 dB的信噪比随机播放,每例受试者共测试六张句表,测试结果以信噪比损失表示;言语测试结束后进行听觉努力(listening effort)自述量表评估。结果M-Quick SIN测试结果显示,受试者同一位置三种助听模式下的信噪比损失从高到低依次为HA、900Sync+HA、900Sync,两两比较差异均有统计学意义(P<0.05);但在三种助听模式下,3米与6米距离之间的信噪比损失差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。Listening effort自述评估结果显示,900Sync、900Sync+HA助听模式下的听觉努力程度优于HA(P<0.05),当信噪比≤0 dB时,900Sync助听模式下的听觉努力程度优于900Sync+HA模式(P<0.05)。结论900Sync无线助听技术能够提高听障患者噪声下的言语识别能力,并改善其听觉努力程度。

Objective To investigate the effect of hearing aid wireless technology on speech recognition ability of hearing impaired patients in noisy environment. Methods The twenty patients randomly selected for this study were long-term hearing device users with symmetrically sensorineural hearing loss, fitted binaurally with 900 Sync wireless hearing aids. The participants were seated at the distances of 3 m and 6 m away from the loudspeaker at 0°azimuth. The participants were asked to repeat the test sentences with one random aid method of hearing aid microphone alone, 900 Sync plus hearing aid microphone, or 900 Sync alone. Speech recognition was measured by M-Quick SIN after fitting. The test sentences were presented at 70 dB SPL for participants. All the sentences with the four-talker babble were corresponding with the 6 SNRs:-5, 0, 5, 10, 15, and 20(dB SNR) respectively. Each participant was required to listen and repeat 30 sentences(from 6 test sentence lists), and the test results were measured by SNR loss. The self-report measure method of listening effort was conducted after M-Quick SIN test was finished. Results The M-Quick SIN test results showed that at a certain distance, the participants’ SNR loss ranking under the three selected conditions were HA, 900 Sync+HA, and 900 Sync from high to low(P<0.05). Under the three selected conditions, the SNR loss results at 3 m and 6 m had no statistical significance(P>0.05). According to the participants, listening effort showed a significant decrease when 900 Sync was activated(P<0.05). When SNR≤0 dB, results showed that less listening effort was required with 900 Sync than 900 Sync+HA(P<0.05). Conclusion The 900 Sync wireless hearing aid technology can improve the speech recognition ability and listening effort of hearing impaired patients in noise.