Amplification with digital noise reduction and the perception of annoying and aversive sounds

Catherine V Palmer; Ruth Bentler; H Gustav Mueller

doi:10.1177/1084713806289554

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Amplification with digital noise reduction and the perception of annoying and aversive sounds

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Amplification with digital noise reduction and the perception of annoying and aversive sounds

Catherine V Palmer, Ruth Bentler and H Gustav Mueller

Trends in amplification, Vol.10(2), pp.95-104

06/2006

DOI: 10.1177/1084713806289554

PMCID: PMC4111518

PMID: 16959733

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https://europepmc.org/articles/pmc4111518View

Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

Hearing aid users report difficulties using their hearing aids in noisy environments. Problems include understanding speech, loudness discomfort, and annoyance with background noise. Digital noise reduction algorithms have been promoted as a method to solve speech understanding and comfort in noise problems. Research has failed to find improved speech understanding in noise. Little is known about how digital noise reduction affects noise annoyance and aversiveness. The goals of this investigation were to determine how a specific digital noise reduction system affects hearing aid users' perception of noise annoyance and aversiveness and to compare their perceptions to those of normal-hearing listeners. Ratings of noise annoyance and of aversiveness were obtained from 49 participants with moderate sensorineural hearing loss before fitting and after 3 weeks of hearing aid use. Findings were compared to measures obtained from normal-hearing listeners. Perceived annoyance and aversiveness increased with amplification. Annoyance and aversiveness with the hearing aid approximated normal perception. The results of this investigation suggest the need for counseling patients about realistic expectations related to annoyance and aversiveness of sounds at the time of hearing aid fitting.

Adult

Aged

Aged, 80 and over

Algorithms

Audiometry, Pure-Tone

Auditory Perception - physiology

Auditory Threshold

Case-Control Studies

Equipment Design

Female

Hearing Aids - psychology

Hearing Loss, Sensorineural - therapy

Humans

Male

Middle Aged

Noise - adverse effects

Patient Satisfaction

Predictive Value of Tests

Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted - instrumentation

Stress, Psychological - etiology

Stress, Psychological - psychology

Surveys and Questionnaires

Treatment Outcome

Details

Title: Subtitle: Amplification with digital noise reduction and the perception of annoying and aversive sounds
Creators: Catherine V Palmer - Vanderbilt University
Ruth Bentler - Vanderbilt University
H Gustav Mueller - Vanderbilt University
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Trends in amplification, Vol.10(2), pp.95-104
DOI: 10.1177/1084713806289554
PMID: 16959733
PMCID: PMC4111518
ISSN: 1084-7138
eISSN: 1940-5588
Language: English
Date published: 06/2006
Academic Unit: Communication Sciences and Disorders
Record Identifier: 9984383912402771

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