Comparison of speech recognition performance with and without a face mask between a basic and a premium hearing aid in hearing-impaired listeners

ElsevierVolume 44, Issue 5, September–October 2023, 103929American Journal of OtolaryngologyAuthor links open overlay panel, , , , , AbstractBackground

The mask mandate during the COVID-19 pandemic leads to communication challenges as sound energy gets reduced and the visual cues are lost due to the face mask. This study examines the impact of a face mask on sound energy and compares speech recognition performance between a basic and a premium hearing aid.

Methods

Participants watched four video clips (a female and a male speaker with and without a face mask) and repeated the target sentences in various test conditions. Real-ear measurement was performed to investigate the changes in sound energy in no mask, surgical, and N95 mask conditions.

Results

With the face mask on, sound energy significantly decreased for all types of masks. For speech recognition, the premium hearing aid showed significant improvement in the mask condition.

Conclusion

The findings emphasize and encourage health care professionals to actively use communication strategies, such as speaking slowly and reducing background noise, when interacting with individuals with hearing loss.

Keywords

Hearing loss

Speech perception

Mask

Hearing aid

COVID-19

View Abstract

© 2023 Published by Elsevier Inc.

留言 (0)

沒有登入
gif