Auditory	Spatial	Training-Induced	Changes	in	the Release of Informational Masking in Older Adults

Marzieh  Amiri; Farnoush Jarollahi; Shohreh  Jalaie; Seyyed Jalal Sameni

doi:10.18502/avr.v31i4.10735

Marzieh Amiri Department of Audiology, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
Farnoush Jarollahi Rehabilitation Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Shohreh Jalaie School of Rehabilitation, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Seyyed Jalal Sameni Rehabilitation Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/avr.v31i4.10735

Abstract

Background and Aim: Generally, in noisy environments more informational masking occurs. Older adults benefit less than younger adults from spatial hearing and they have more problems of understanding speech in the presence of distracting speeches. This study was conducted to examine the effect of auditory spatial training on informational masking release in the elderly.

Methods: Thirty-two 60-75-year-olds with normal hearing, who complain about difficulty in speech perception in noise, participated in control and intervention groups (16 people in each group). The intervention included fifteen sessions of auditory spatial training. The informational masking measurement test scores were compared before the intervention, one session after the intervention, and one month after between the two groups.

Results: There was a significant improvement in informational masking measurement scores in the intervention group compared to the control (p<0.02). The results showed no significant differences between the informational masking measurement scores before and after the intervention in the control group (p>0.05) and a significant difference in most signal to noise ratio i.e. 0, -5 and -10, in the intervention group (p≤0.006). No significant difference was found between the results of the two assessments one session and one month after the intervention in any of the positions (p>0.05), which suggests that both groups’ scores remained highly stable one month after the intervention

Conclusion: This study introduced a spatial training program to improve speech perception in noise in normal-hearing elderly listeners. It was recommended that this kind of training be included in geriatric population auditory rehabilitation programs.

Keywords: Informational masking; energetic masking; elderly; speech perception in noise