Neural and perceptual speech in noise processing among 6–8-year-old children: Relation to working memory

IF 2.5 2区医学 Q1 AUDIOLOGY & SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY

Hearing Research Pub Date : 2025-06-26 DOI:10.1016/j.heares.2025.109345

Anadel Khalaila-Zbidat, Hanin Karawani

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Young school-age-children learn literacy skills in classrooms that present challenging listening environments, particularly background noise. The ability to perceive speech in noisy environments relies on the interaction between cognitive and auditory processing. The present study investigates the relationship between speech in noise (SiN) perception and working memory (WM) in children aged 6–8, in addition it explores potential neural-cognitive-behavioral links in SiN processing.

Thirty-four normal-hearing children aged 6–8 years participated in the study. Neural SiN processing was assessed using the frequency following response to speech syllable /da/, collected in quiet and background noise, and analyzed for latency, amplitude, and fundamental frequency (F0) components. Perceptual SiN accuracy was examined using a sentence recognition task at three signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) levels (+3, 0, and -3 dB). WM was assessed using digit span tasks.

Background noise reduced both perceptual accuracy and neural SiN processing showing delayed latencies and lower amplitudes, and weaker F0 encoding, compared to the quiet condition. WM function positively contributed to SiN perception, with its effect moderated by the neural encoding of F0 in noise. Specifically, better neural encoding of F0 in noise decreased the positive contribution of WM to SiN perception. This study confirms the relationship between SiN perception and WM in children aged 6–8 years, highlighting the crucial contribution of cognitive factors, such as WM, in processing SiN, and reveals a neural-cognitive-perceptual interaction that modulates this contribution.

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6 - 8岁儿童噪声加工中的神经言语和知觉言语：与工作记忆的关系

年幼的学龄儿童在具有挑战性的听力环境中学习识字技能，特别是背景噪音。在嘈杂环境中感知语言的能力依赖于认知和听觉处理之间的相互作用。本研究探讨了6-8岁儿童噪声言语感知与工作记忆之间的关系，并探讨了噪声言语加工中潜在的神经-认知-行为联系。34名6-8岁的正常听力儿童参与了这项研究。使用对语音音节/da/的响应后的频率来评估神经SiN处理，在安静和背景噪声中收集，并分析潜伏期，幅度和基频（F0）分量。通过三个信噪比（SNR）水平（+3、0和-3 dB）的句子识别任务来检测感知SiN的准确性。WM使用数字跨度任务进行评估。与安静条件相比，背景噪声降低了感知准确性和神经SiN处理，显示延迟和较低的振幅，以及较弱的F0编码。WM功能正向促进SiN感知，其作用被噪声中F0的神经编码所调节。具体而言，噪声中F0更好的神经编码降低了WM对SiN感知的正贡献。本研究证实了6-8岁儿童SiN知觉与WM之间的关系，强调了认知因素（如WM）在SiN加工中的重要作用，并揭示了调节这一作用的神经-认知-知觉相互作用。

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来源期刊

Hearing Research 医学-耳鼻喉科学

CiteScore

5.30

自引率

14.30%

发文量

163

审稿时长

75 days

期刊介绍： The aim of the journal is to provide a forum for papers concerned with basic peripheral and central auditory mechanisms. Emphasis is on experimental and clinical studies, but theoretical and methodological papers will also be considered. The journal publishes original research papers, review and mini- review articles, rapid communications, method/protocol and perspective articles. Papers submitted should deal with auditory anatomy, physiology, psychophysics, imaging, modeling and behavioural studies in animals and humans, as well as hearing aids and cochlear implants. Papers dealing with the vestibular system are also considered for publication. Papers on comparative aspects of hearing and on effects of drugs and environmental contaminants on hearing function will also be considered. Clinical papers will be accepted when they contribute to the understanding of normal and pathological hearing functions.