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Evaluation of Speech Perception and Psychoacoustic Abilities Following Chemotherapy

Kappes, Melissa Skarl
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0957-9501
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1524043201577734

Abstract Details

2018, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Speech and Hearing Science.
High-frequency sensorineural hearing loss is a common side effect of platinum-based chemotherapies due to the degeneration of cochlear structures. The speech perception of individuals with hearing loss due to chemotherapy has not been as extensively investigated. Studies investigating the speech perception abilities in individuals with hearing loss due to chemotherapy reveal speech perception difficulties and self-perceived hearing handicap greater than expected given pure tone thresholds. This suggests that platinum-based chemotherapies reduce speech perception abilities more than expected given pure-tone thresholds and supports the need for further evaluation of potential underlying mechanisms, such as substantial cochlear damage. The purpose of the present study was to investigate both speech perception abilities and cochlear function in children and adults with hearing loss due to chemotherapy. Speech perception was evaluated for sentence stimuli that were low-pass filtered to create five filter conditions and presented in the presence of speech spectrum noise at three signal-to-noise ratios (SNR). Speech stimuli were presented via digital hearing aids programmed based on the participant’s pure tone thresholds. Cochlear function was investigated as a mechanism to identify regions of substantial cochlear damage using Fast Psychophysical Tuning Curves (PTCs) and the Threshold Equalizing Noise (TEN) test. Speech perception and cochlear function were measured in four groups: 30 children and 15 adults with normal hearing, and five children and five adults with hearing loss due to chemotherapy. Participants with hearing impairment generally had poorer speech perception in noise across all filter cut-off and SNR conditions and showed smaller gains in speech perception as the filter-cut off frequency increased when compared to normal-hearing controls. For one child and one adult with hearing impairment, TEN test results demonstrated abnormally high masked thresholds, meeting the criteria for substantial cochlear damage. These two participants with hearing impairment also had smaller gains in speech perception as low-pass filter cut-off frequency increased when compared to other participants with hearing impairment. Thus, the TEN test did identify participants with hearing impairment who had notably poorer speech perception in all SNR conditions and who had smaller gains in speech perception as low-pass filter cut-off frequency increased when compared to other participants with hearing impairment. Results of Fast PTCs were limited, as participants with hearing impairment were unable to complete the task at high frequencies, regardless of the degree of hearing loss. For some participants with hearing loss due to chemotherapy, speech perception in noise was notably poorer (greater than two standard deviations below normal) than expected given the degree of pure tone loss. This suggests that speech perception performance in participants with hearing loss due to chemotherapy is impacted by factors beyond pure tone thresholds. The results of this study support the need for assessment of speech perception abilities in noise in individuals with hearing loss due to chemotherapy. Further evaluation of both speech perception abilities and cochlear function, particularly using the TEN test, may help strengthen the relationship between the two measures, helping to identify individuals with substantial cochlear damage and speech perception difficulties.
Lawrence Feth, Ph.D. (Advisor)
Christina Roup, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Eric Bielefeld, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
178 p.
Audiology; Medicine
Chemotherapy; speech perception; cochlear function; hearing loss; children; adults; tuning curves; speech understanding

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Kappes, M. S. (2018). Evaluation of Speech Perception and Psychoacoustic Abilities Following Chemotherapy [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1524043201577734

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Kappes, Melissa. Evaluation of Speech Perception and Psychoacoustic Abilities Following Chemotherapy. 2018. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1524043201577734.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Kappes, Melissa. "Evaluation of Speech Perception and Psychoacoustic Abilities Following Chemotherapy." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2018. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1524043201577734

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1524043201577734
545
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This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.