Version 1
: Received: 28 October 2024 / Approved: 29 October 2024 / Online: 29 October 2024 (11:00:57 CET)
How to cite:
Valderrama, J. T.; Mejia, J.; Wong, A.; Herbert, N. C.; Edwards, B. Reduced Listening Effort with Adaptive Binaural Beamforming in Realistic Noisy Environments. Preprints2024, 2024102287. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202410.2287.v1
Valderrama, J. T.; Mejia, J.; Wong, A.; Herbert, N. C.; Edwards, B. Reduced Listening Effort with Adaptive Binaural Beamforming in Realistic Noisy Environments. Preprints 2024, 2024102287. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202410.2287.v1
Valderrama, J. T.; Mejia, J.; Wong, A.; Herbert, N. C.; Edwards, B. Reduced Listening Effort with Adaptive Binaural Beamforming in Realistic Noisy Environments. Preprints2024, 2024102287. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202410.2287.v1
APA Style
Valderrama, J. T., Mejia, J., Wong, A., Herbert, N. C., & Edwards, B. (2024). Reduced Listening Effort with Adaptive Binaural Beamforming in Realistic Noisy Environments. Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202410.2287.v1
Chicago/Turabian Style
Valderrama, J. T., Nicholas C. Herbert and Brent Edwards. 2024 "Reduced Listening Effort with Adaptive Binaural Beamforming in Realistic Noisy Environments" Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202410.2287.v1
Abstract
This study evaluates the effectiveness of adaptive binaural beamforming in a realistic cafeteria noise environment. The motivation stems from the common challenge faced by hearing aid users in such environments, where communication often demands significant mental effort. The study employed a combination of behavioural, neurophysiological, and self-reported measures to assess speech intelligibility and listening effort. Results showed that the adaptive binaural beamformer improved speech-in-noise intelligibility at signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) yielding 80% and 95% intelligibility. Additionally, when this technology was enabled, listening effort was reduced across various metrics: faster reaction times on a dual task, decreased pre-stimulus alpha power (8-12 Hz), indicating less inhibition was needed, and increased alpha power during the encoding and retention phases, consistent with greater working memory load due to improved intelligibility. Self-reports indicated lower perceived effort in the more challenging SNR condition. The use of realistic background noise enhances the ecological validity of the findings, contributing to a better understanding of how this hearing aid technology performs in real-world listening environments. Overall, the study demonstrates that adaptive binaural beamforming can ease the cognitive burden on users in noisy, everyday environments, thereby enhancing their overall auditory experience.
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
