Speech Perception Training: Advanced Scoring and Feedback Methods

Speech Perception Training: Advanced Scoring and Feedback Methods

The purpose of the study is to assess training of visual speech (lipreading) and audiovisual (lipreading plus auditory) speech as a rehabilitation strategy for hearing loss in adults.

It is hypothesized that training that improves lipreading in older adults can carry over to untrained lipreading materials and to audiovisual speech recognition in noise. Participants receive pre- and post-training tests of speech recognition with visual-only, auditory-only, and audiovisual spoken sentences and isolated words. During pre- and post-training tests, they carry out forced choice identification of lipread consonants. Participants who are assigned to a training arm train on lipreading isolated sentences (Aim 1) or on learning via lipreading sets of isolated nonsense words (Aim 2). Depending on the outcomes of Aims 1 and 2, in Aim 3, new participants receive audiovisual training with conditions from Aims 1 and 2.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Must have Mild to severe hearing loss
• Native speaker of American English
• Access to computer and the ability to use it for the testing, training, and teleconferencing
• computer display >= 10 inches diagonal

Exclusion Criteria:

• Internet too slow for streaming
• History of brain trauma or learning disability
• Poor (corrected) vision