Individual Noise-Tolerance Profiles and Neural Signal-to-Noise Ratio: Insights into Predicting Speech-in-Noise Performance and Noise-Reduction Outcomes.

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Individuals with similar hearing sensitivity exhibit varying levels of tolerance to background noise, a trait tied to unique individual characteristics that affect their responsiveness to noise reduction (NR) processing in hearing aids. The present study aimed to capture such individual characteristics by employing electrophysiological measures and subjective noise-tolerance profiles, and both were analyzed in relation to speech-in-noise performance and NR outcomes. Methods: From a sample of 42 participants with normal hearing, the neural signal-to-noise ratio (SNR)-a cortical index comparing the amplitude ratio between auditory evoked responses to target speech onset versus noise onset-was calculated, and individual noise-tolerance profiles were also derived using k-means cluster analysis to classify participants into distinct subgroups. Results: The neural SNR showed significant correlations with speech-in-noise performance and NR outcomes with varying strength. In contrast, noise-tolerance subgroups did not show meaningful group-level differences in either speech-in-noise or NR outcomes. The neural SNR and noise-tolerance profiles were found to be statistically independent. Conclusions: While the neural SNR reliably predicted perceptual performance in background noise and NR outcomes, our noise-tolerance profiles lacked sufficient sensitivity. Still, subjective ratings of individual noise tolerance are clinically accessible, and thus, integrating both physiology and subjective measures in the same cohort is a valuable strategy.