Effects of the PSAPs on speech perception in noise
hearing loss, auditory communication skills
HEARING LOSS, AIDS
In this study, we focused on speech perception in noise because difficulty following a conversation in a noisy environment is one of the most common complaints of older adults with and without hearing loss. Two different tasks were used to measure speech-in-noise perception. The first was the QuickSIN [In the present study, PSAPs use was associated with reduced self-reported listening effort. According to the information degradation hypothesis [Another factor that could explain the gain in speech-in-noise perception is that the PSAPs currently on the market might not be effective enough to provide clinically relevant benefits, as they do not all have the same features as conventional hearing aids. This would be consistent with a previous study that examined the impact of five different PSAPs and hearing aids on listening ability [There are important conceptual differences to consider when comparing traditional hearing aids, OTC hearing aids and PSAPs. These differences relate to personalization, effectiveness, safety and affordability. Traditional hearing aids are medical devices that must be prescribed, are tailored to the specific needs of the user, and are regulated by the FDA to ensure their effectiveness and safety. Similar features are found in OTC hearing aids, but they do not require a prescription and can be adjusted by the users themselves, making them more widely available and less expensive. On the other hand, PSAPs are not subject to the same regulations as medical devices and may have fewer and less advanced features, which could reduce their effectiveness. While conventional hearing aids should remain the preferred choice for hearing care, the results of this study suggest that PSAPs may be a viable alternative for those who cannot afford both conventional or OTC hearing aids, as they appear to offer significant benefits compared to an unaided condition. The results of this study come in the context that conventional hearing aids are rarely reimbursed in full or even in part in most countries. If conventional devices were reimbursed, they would be a safe and effective option for treating hearing loss. In this case, PSAPs may still be an attractive option in some cases, such as for very mild hearing loss or when a person needs amplification under certain conditions. In line with this idea, the current study shows that individuals with diverse hearing profiles, even without any clinical diagnosis of hearing loss, can experience benefits from PSAPs, providing tangible evidence that these devices can help people who want to improve their auditory communication skills.Future studies are, however, needed to compare different PSAP brands on speech perception and listening ability. However, this may be challenging as the market will likely grow in the coming years, making it challenging to compare the different types of PSAPs. Future studies should examine which parameters and settings are most beneficial on PSAPs, thus providing guidelines for those who opt for this option instead of conventional or OTC hearing aids. Here, we used high-end PSAPs with noise cancellation features, making our results only generalizable for this device and other devices with the same characteristics.Notwithstanding, it is encouraging that most participants did better with PSAPs than without, even for a short period of use. There are no longitudinal studies to date exploring the effects of these devices on measures of speech perception and auditory processing. The next step would be to conduct longitudinal studies to explore the benefits of these devices on speech perception and compare these benefits to those of hearing aids.