Assessing variability in audiovisual speech integration skills using capacity and accuracy measures. (October 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Altieri, Nicholas; Hudock, Daniel
• Is Part Of: International journal of audiology. Volume 53:Number 10(2014:Oct.)
• Page Start: 710
• Page End: 718
• Publication Date: 2014-10
• Subjects: Audiology -- Periodicals; Hearing disorders -- Periodicals; Deafness -- Prevention -- Periodicals; Hearing Disorders -- Periodicals; Hearing -- Periodicals; 617.8
• DOI: 10.3109/14992027.2014.909053
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1499-2027

Abstract

<abstract> <title>Abstract</title> <p> <italic>Objective:</italic> While most normal-hearing listeners rely on the auditory modality to obtain speech information, research has demonstrated the importance that non-auditory modalities have on language recognition during face-to-face communication. The efficient utilization of the visual modality becomes increasingly important in difficult listening conditions, and especially for older and hearing-impaired listeners with sensory or cognitive decline. First, this report will quantify audiovisual integration skills using a recently developed capacity measure that incorporates speed and accuracy. Second, to investigate sensory factors contributing to integration ability, high and low-frequency hearing thresholds will be correlated with capacity, as well as gain measures from sentence recognition. <italic>Design:</italic> Integration scores were obtained from a within-subjects design using an open-set sentence speech recognition experiment and a closed set speeded-word classification experiment, designed to examine integration (i.e. capacity). <italic>Study sample:</italic> A sample of 44 adult listeners without a self-reported history of hearing-loss was recruited. <italic>Results:</italic> Results demonstrated a significant relationship between measures of audiovisual integration and hearing thresholds. <italic>Conclusions:</italic> Our data indicated that a listener's ability to integrate auditory and visual speech information in the domains of speed and accuracy is associated with auditory sensory capabilities and possibly other sensory and cognitive factors.</p> </abstract>