Benefit from different beamforming schemes in bilateral hearing aid users: Do binaural hearing abilities matter?

Authors

  • Matthias Latzel Sonova AG, CH-8712 Stäfa, Switzerland
  • Kirsten Christine Wagener Hörzentrum Oldenburg, D-26129 Oldenburg, Germany
  • Matthias Vormann Hörzentrum Oldenburg, D-26129 Oldenburg, Germany
  • Tobias Neher Institute of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, DK-5230 Odense, Denmark

Keywords:

binaural hearing, Hearng aids, beamformer, BILD, Environmental awareness, Diffuse interferer, Lateral interferer

Abstract

Using a hearing aid simulator and virtual acoustics, Neher et al. (2017) recently showed that binaural hearing abilities influence speech-in-noise reception through different bilateral directional processing schemes. The current study aimed to extend this finding to real acoustic environments and commercial devices. Three beamforming schemes were tested – they differed in signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) improvement and binaural cue preservation. The participants were 38 elderly experienced hearing aid users. Speech understanding and localisation performance were measured. Binaural hearing abilities were assessed using the binaural intelligibility level difference (BILD). The analyses revealed a clear effect of the BILD on speech understanding in noise, but no interaction with the beamformer conditions. Greater SNR improvement was generally beneficial. In contrast, localisation of static and dynamic stimuli was more accurate when low-frequency binaural cues were preserved. Furthermore, the interaction with the BILD was marginally significant for dynamic stimuli (p = 0.054). Altogether, these results suggest that when selecting directional processing schemes in bilateral hearing aid fittings both speech understanding and aspects of spatial awareness perception should be considered.

References

Dillon, H. (1999) “NAL-NL1: A prescriptive fitting procedure for non-linear hearing aids,” The Hear J. 58(10): 10-16.

Dillon, H. (2012). “Hearing Aids,” 2nd ed., Boomerang Press, Sydney, Australia.

Gatehouse, S., Naylor, G., and Elberling, C. (2003). “Benefits from hearings aids in relation to the interaction between the user and the environment,’ Int. J. Audiol. 42(suppl.1). 77-85.

Grimm, G., Luberadzka, J., Herzke, T., and Hohmann, V. (2015). “Toolbox for acoustic scene creation and rendering (tascar): Render methods and research applications,” In F. Neumann, editor, Proceedings of the Linux Audio Conference, Mainz, Germany, 2015. Johannes-Gutenberg Universitat Mainz.

Hochmuth, S., Jürgens, T., Brand, T., and Kollmeier, B. (2015). ” Talker- and language-specific effects on speech intelligibility in noise assessed with bilingual talkers: Which language is more robust against noise and reverberation?,” Int. J. Audiol. 54:sup2, 23-34.

Kayser, H., Ewert, S.D., Annemüller, J., Rohdenburg, T., Hohmann, V., and Kollmeier, B. (2009). “Database of multichannel in-ear and behind-the-ear head- related and binaural room impulse response,” EURASIP J. Adv. Signal Process., 298605. 1-10.

Kollmeier, B. (1996). “Computer-controlled speech audiometric techniques for the assessment of hearing loss and the evaluation of hearing aids,” In; Kollmeier, B. (Ed.) Psychoacoustics, Speech and Hearings Aids. World Scientific, Singapore, pp. 57-68.

Latzel, M. (2013). “StereoZoom and auto StereoZoom,” Phonak compendium. Lunner, T. (2003). “Cognitive function in relation to hearing aid use,’ Int. J. Audiol. 42(suppl.1), 49-58.

Neher, T., Wagener, K.C., and Latzel, M. (2017) “Speech reception with different bilateral directional processing schemes: Influence of binaural hearing, audiometric asymmetry, and acoustic scenario,” Hear Res., 353: 36-48.

Wagener, K., Brand, T., Kühnel, V., and Kollmeier, B. (1999) “Development and evaluation of a sentence test for the German language I-III: Design, optimization and evaluation of the Oldenburg sentence test,” Z. Audiol. (Audiol. Acoustics). 38. 4-15, 44-56, 86-95.

Additional Files

Published

2020-04-14

How to Cite

Latzel, M., Wagener, K. C., Vormann, M., & Neher, T. (2020). Benefit from different beamforming schemes in bilateral hearing aid users: Do binaural hearing abilities matter?. Proceedings of the International Symposium on Auditory and Audiological Research, 7, 325–332. Retrieved from https://proceedings.isaar.eu/index.php/isaarproc/article/view/2019-37

Issue

Section

2019/4. Novel directions in hearing-instrument technology