25dga003 10.3205/25dga003 urn:nbn:de:0183-25dga0030 Meeting Abstract Zaar Zaar Johannes J

Eriksholm Research Centre, Snekkersten, Dänemark Hearing Systems Section, Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Dänemark

author Laugesen Laugesen Søren S

Interacoustics Research Unit, Kongens Lyngby, Dänemark

author Santurette Santurette Sébastien S

Centre for Applied Audiology Research, Oticon A/S, Smørum, Dänemark

author Jones Jones Gary G

Demant A/S, Smørum, Dänemark

author Vatti Vatti Marianna M

Centre for Applied Audiology Research, Oticon A/S, Smørum, Dänemark

author Tanaka Tanaka Chiemi C

Oticon Japan, Kawasaki, Japan Diatec Japan, Kawasaki, Japan

author Ihly Ihly Peter P

Institute of Acoustics, University of Applied Sciences Lübeck, Lübeck, Deutschland

author Jürgens Jürgens Tim T

Institute of Acoustics, University of Applied Sciences Lübeck, Lübeck, Deutschland

author German Medical Science GMS Publishing House

Düsseldorf

610 20250318 engl This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. Dieser Artikel ist ein Open-Access-Artikel und steht unter den Lizenzbedingungen der Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (Namensnennung). M0607 003 Deutsche Gesellschaft für Audiologie e. V. und ADANO 27. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Audiologie und Arbeitstagung der Arbeitsgemeinschaft Deutschsprachiger Audiologen, Neurootologen und Otologen Strukturierte Sitzung 2: Audiologische Hörgerätemerkmale – Evaluierung und neue Entwicklungen Göttingen 20250319 20250321 003 TextThe pure-tone audiogram is the main clinical diagnostic used for assessing hearing loss and provides the basis for prescribing hearing-aid amplification to restore audibility. However, the audiogram does not necessarily reflect the hearing-in-noise deficits that can remain when audibility has been restored, which can manifest themselves, e.g., in poor speech understanding in adverse conditions. A clinical measure of such deficits would thus be highly useful for prescribing advanced hearing-aid features designed to counteract hearing-in-noise deficits, such as powerful deep neural network (DNN) based noise reduction algorithms.To enable assessment of hearing-in-noise deficits in the clinic, we have conducted multiple research studies optimizing spectro-temporal modulation (STM) detection tests for hearing-impaired listeners such that the measured STM performance predicts the listeners’ speech-in-noise performance , . These studies resulted in the development of a clinical test paradigm called the Audible Contrast Threshold (ACTTM) test, a novel quick-and-simple clinical STM detection test with built-in audibility compensation .We evaluated ACT in a large-scale clinical study with 100+ participants in terms of test-retest reliability, testing time, and predictive power with regard to aided speech-in-noise performance. Speech reception thresholds (SRTs) were measured with participants using Oticon More 1 hearing aids in a challenging setting with spatially distributed speech interferers. Four different hearing-aid settings were tested: amplification only, mild directionality and noise reduction (DIR+NR), medium DIR+NR, and strong DIR+NR, using Oticon’s DNN-based help-in-noise feature.The ACT test was found to be quick (<2 minutes) and reliable. On the group level, SRTs were highest for the amplification-only setting and decreased with increasing levels of DIR+NR processing. The individual SRTs collected with amplification only were strongly correlated with ACT and – to a lesser extent – with the 4-frequency pure-tone average (PTA4). The predictive power of ACT and PTA4 was found to be complementary, as they both contributed significantly to predicting the amplification-only SRTs in a two-predictor linear regression model. The individual SRT benefit induced by different levels of DIR+NR varied substantially across participants, with poor performers benefiting most from strong DIR+NR. A dedicated analysis showed that the variability in SRT benefit was correlated with the closedness of acoustic coupling and with ACT.Overall, the results suggest that ACT is a clinically viable hearing-in-noise test that can be used to prescribe advanced hearing-aid features, especially DIR+NR features that improve the speech-to-noise ratio. Special attention should be paid to the effects of acoustic coupling on the real-life efficacy of DIR+NR processing. Zaar J Simonsen LB Dau T Laugesen S Toward a clinically viable spectro-temporal modulation test for predicting supra-threshold speech reception in hearing-impaired listeners 2023 Hear Res 108650 Zaar J, Simonsen LB, Dau T, Laugesen S. Toward a clinically viable spectro-temporal modulation test for predicting supra-threshold speech reception in hearing-impaired listeners. Hear Res. 2023 Jan;427:108650. DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2022.108650 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.heares.2022.108650 Zaar J Simonsen LB Laugesen S A spectro-temporal modulation test for predicting speech reception in hearing-impaired listeners with hearing aids 2024 Hear Res 108949 Zaar J, Simonsen LB, Laugesen S. A spectro-temporal modulation test for predicting speech reception in hearing-impaired listeners with hearing aids. Hear Res. 2024 Mar 1;443:108949. DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2024.108949 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.heares.2024.108949 Zaar J Simonsen LB Sanchez-Lopez R Laugesen S The Audible Contrast Threshold (ACT) test: A clinical spectro-temporal modulation detection test 2024 Hear Res 109103 Zaar J, Simonsen LB, Sanchez-Lopez R, Laugesen S. The Audible Contrast Threshold (ACT) test: A clinical spectro-temporal modulation detection test. Hear Res. 2024 Nov;453:109103. DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2024.109103 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.heares.2024.109103 0 0 0 0