Intelligibility Sound Therapy Enhances the Ability of Speech-in-Noise Perception and Pre-Perceptual Neurophysiological Response
Takashi Ishino,
Kei Nakagawa,
Fumiko Higashikawa,
Sakura Hirokane,
Rikuto Fujita,
Chie Ishikawa,
Tomohiro Kawasumi,
Kota Takemoto,
Takashi Oda,
Manabu Nishida,
Yuichiro Horibe,
Nobuyuki Chikuie,
Takayuki Taruya,
Takao Hamamoto,
Tsutomu Ueda,
Louis Yuge,
Sachio Takeno
Affiliations
Takashi Ishino
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima University, Kasumi 1-2-3, Minami-ku, Hiroshima 734-8551, Japan
Kei Nakagawa
Department of Biomechanics, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Kasumi 1-2-3, Minami-ku, Hiroshima 734-8551, Japan
Fumiko Higashikawa
Medical Center for Translational and Clinical Research, Hiroshima University Hospital, Hiroshima University, Kasumi 1-2-3, Minami-ku, Hiroshima 734-8551, Japan
Sakura Hirokane
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima University, Kasumi 1-2-3, Minami-ku, Hiroshima 734-8551, Japan
Rikuto Fujita
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima University, Kasumi 1-2-3, Minami-ku, Hiroshima 734-8551, Japan
Chie Ishikawa
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima University, Kasumi 1-2-3, Minami-ku, Hiroshima 734-8551, Japan
Tomohiro Kawasumi
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima University, Kasumi 1-2-3, Minami-ku, Hiroshima 734-8551, Japan
Kota Takemoto
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima University, Kasumi 1-2-3, Minami-ku, Hiroshima 734-8551, Japan
Takashi Oda
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima University, Kasumi 1-2-3, Minami-ku, Hiroshima 734-8551, Japan
Manabu Nishida
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima University, Kasumi 1-2-3, Minami-ku, Hiroshima 734-8551, Japan
Yuichiro Horibe
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima University, Kasumi 1-2-3, Minami-ku, Hiroshima 734-8551, Japan
Nobuyuki Chikuie
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima University, Kasumi 1-2-3, Minami-ku, Hiroshima 734-8551, Japan
Takayuki Taruya
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima University, Kasumi 1-2-3, Minami-ku, Hiroshima 734-8551, Japan
Takao Hamamoto
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima University, Kasumi 1-2-3, Minami-ku, Hiroshima 734-8551, Japan
Tsutomu Ueda
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima University, Kasumi 1-2-3, Minami-ku, Hiroshima 734-8551, Japan
Louis Yuge
Department of Biomechanics, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Kasumi 1-2-3, Minami-ku, Hiroshima 734-8551, Japan
Sachio Takeno
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima University, Kasumi 1-2-3, Minami-ku, Hiroshima 734-8551, Japan
Aural rehabilitation with hearing aids can decrease the attentional requirements of cognitive resources by amplifying deteriorated-frequency sound in hearing loss patients and improving auditory discrimination ability like speech-in-noise perception. As aural rehabilitation with an intelligible-hearing sound also can be hopeful, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of aural rehabilitation with intelligible-hearing sound for hearing loss patients. Adult native Japanese speakers (17 males and 23 females, 68.43 ± 9.23 years) with hearing thresholds exceeding 30 dB at any of the following frequencies: 125, 250, 500, 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000, 8000, 10,000, and 12,000 Hz in either ear, were recruited. on any side were recruited and underwent the Mini-Mental State Examination Japanese. We conducted a self-evaluation questionnaire for hearing problems of voice, a gap detection test, a fast speech test, a speech-in-noise test, a pure tone audiogram, and a speech perception test using a Japanese 67-S, cortical auditory-evoked fields, and magnetic mismatch negativity before and after the non-intelligible-hearing (N = 20) and intelligible-hearing (N = 20) sound therapy, which involved listening to music for one hour a day for 35 days. The better hearing ear was defined using a four-frequency pure-tone average at the thresholds of 500, 1000, 2000, and 4000 Hz. After the sound therapy, the speech-in-noise test with a signal-to-noise ratio +10 in the better hearing ear showed significant improvement (p p p < 0.01). Intelligible-hearing sound therapy can improve the ability of speech-in-noise perception in the better hearing ear and enhancement of central cortex response, which reflects the ability of working memory, was proved by cortical auditory-evoked fields and magnetic mismatch negativity. Intelligible-hearing sound therapy can be a valuable aural rehabilitation method for sensory neural hearing loss, the same as hearing aids.
