# Aging and speech perception in complex listening environments

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST · 2021 · $388,115

## Abstract

Summary
Middle-aged adults often report problems understanding speech in adverse listening conditions, even though
they typically demonstrate essentially normal results on routine audiological tests. The extent of these self-
reported problems can be as great or greater than problems expressed by older adults with considerably more
hearing loss. The disconnect between measured and self-perceived hearing problems in middle-aged adults
could be due, at least in part, to listening being more effortful for them. Since their problems are not apparent
using currently-available assessment measures, clinical audiology has little to offer these individuals in terms
of identifying or addressing their hearing problems. The long-term goal of this research is to develop evaluation
and treatment methods that focus on functional hearing early in the aging process. Treating hearing problems
in midlife could help to reduce the negative outcomes associated with age-related hearing loss (such as
cognitive decline and risk of incident dementia). The focus of the project described in this application is on
quantifying cognitive load (i.e., effort) required for middle-aged adults to understand speech in the presence of
different types of masking sounds. Cognitive load will be quantified using ecologically-valid measures: dual-
task costs associated with listening-while-walking; memory for previously heard speech; and subjective ratings
of listening effort. This project also will identify the impact of Personal Sound Amplifier (PSAPs) on functional
hearing in middle-aged adults with mild hearing loss. These devices, which are sold over-the-counter, are more
affordable than traditional hearing aids and so might be more acceptable to these individuals than are
conventional hearing instruments. Experiments in the proposed project will determine the effectiveness of
selected higher-end PSAPs (when used both binaurally and monaurally) for decreasing listening effort, and for
improving speech understanding and spatial hearing ability, in middle-aged adults with mild hearing loss.
Testing will be conducted before and after controlled field trials of monaural and binaural PSAP use in order to
identify acclimatization effects. Outcomes of this project have the potential to alter when and how we evaluate
and treat age-related hearing loss.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10197093
- **Project number:** 5R01DC012057-10
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST
- **Principal Investigator:** Karen S Helfer
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $388,115
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2012-07-20 → 2024-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10197093

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10197093, Aging and speech perception in complex listening environments (5R01DC012057-10). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-21 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10197093. Licensed CC0.

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