Proceedings of the 10th Convention of the
European Acoustics Association
Forum Acusticum 2023


Politecnico di Torino
Torino, Italy
September 11 - 15, 2023





Session: A10-04: Auditory and cognitive aspects in perception with hearing devices
Date: Tuesday 12 September 2023
Time: 15:20 - 15:40
Title: Acoustic and Developmental Factors in Voice Perception in Children With Hearing Devices
Author(s): D. Başkent, University Medical Center Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9713 GZ Groningen, Netherlands
L. Rachman, Pento Audiology Center Zwolle, Netherlands, Oosterlaan 20, 8011GC Zwolle, Netherlands
L. Nagels, University Medical Center Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9700 RB Groningen, Netherlands
G. Babaoğlu, University Medical Center Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9713 GZ Groningen, Netherlands
P. Ertürk, Hacettepe University, Hacettepe Beytepe Kampüsü 25 A, 06800 Ankara, Turkey
B. Özkişi Yazgan, Hacettepe University, Hacettepe Beytepe Kampüsü 25 A, 06800 Ankara, Turkey
D. Vickers, University of Cambridge, Cambridge Hearing Group, Clinical Neurosciences Department, CB2 8AF Cambridge, UK
P. Hendriks, University of Groningen, Center for Language and Cognition Groningen (CLCG), 9700 RB Groningen, Netherlands
G. Sennaroğlu, Hacettepe University, Hacettepe Beytepe Kampüsü 25 A, 8600 Ankara, Turkey
E. Gaudrain, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, CNRS UMR5292, Inserm U1028, Université Lyon 1, 69000 Lyon, France
Pages: 1849-1856
DOI: https://www.doi.org/10.61782/fa.2023.0675
PDF: https://dael.euracoustics.org/confs/fa2023/data/articles/000675.pdf
Conference proceedings
Abstract

Perception of voice cues, voice pitch (F0) and vocal-tract length (VTL), is important for recognizing speakers. Its investigation in children with hearing devices could be challenging due to the combined effects of cognitive development and distortions induced by hearing loss. We measured voice cue just-noticeable- differences (JNDs) in school-age children with hearing aids, cochlear implants, or typical hearing. Children with hearing aids had, overall, larger voice cue JNDs (less sensitive) than the control group, but this effect was mostly confined to younger ages. Individual data showed relatively large overlap between the JNDs of typically-hearing children and those using hearing aids. For the few children with very large JNDs, the degree of hearing loss or aided thresholds did not seem determining factors. Children with cochlear implants in general had larger voice cue JNDs than the control group, but these seemed to overlap more with JNDs of their own controls than those of implanted adults’ overlap with their own controls. In all children, general developmental effects were seen, although these differed between F0 and VTL. Overall, results confirm that early use of hearing devices can provide benefits in voice perception, and with continued use of the devices, this ability may develop further.