Reducton of fatigue with speech enhancer in LUMITY - SRF-14264

Purpose: The “Speech Enhancer” feature (SE) improves speech intelligibility and reduces listening effort for soft speech in quiet by providing adaptive situational gain. This PMCF study investigated whether these benefits lead to a reduction of fatigue after prolonged exposure. Methods: Twenty two elderly subjects with moderate to severe hearing loss performed a test sequence based on the concept of the Time-Compressed-Auditory Day (TCAD). The TCAD includes repeated tests for auditory reaction times, memory capacity, a dual task combination of both, concentration performance, and subjective judgements of listening effort and fatigue and has a duration of approximately 2.5 hours. It was performed in quiet conditions with and without using the SE. Results: Subjective ratings show a significantly stronger fatigue effect without SE than with SE. Fatigue was also reflected in memory capacity and reaction times. Speech intelligibility was increased and listening effort was reduced when the SE was activated. Conclusion: Fatigue can arise from listening in soft speech situations in patients with moderate to severe hearing loss. This effect can be reduced using the SE.