WORD RECOGNITION IN CONTINUOUS AND INTERRUPTED BROAD-BAND NOISE BY YOUNG NORMAL-HEARING, OLDER NORMAL-HEARING, AND PRESBYACUSIC LISTENERS

Objective: Word recognition performance in continuous and interrupted broadband noise was examined in young normal-hearing (YNH), older norm al-hearing (ONI), and presbyacusic (older hearing-impaired [OHI]) list eners. Design: Participants (N = 36) were presented with identical Nor thwestern University Auditory Test No. 6 stimuli at 30 dB sensation le vel re their respective speech reception thresholds. The speech stimul i were presented in quiet and in both competing noise conditions with signal to noise ratios (S/Ns) of 10, 5, 0, -5, -10, -15, and -20 dB. R esults: In general performance was superior in quiet, improved with in creasing S/N, and was greater in the interrupted broadband noise than in the continuous broadband noise. Significant main effects of group a nd S/N were found in both competing noises (p < 0.0001). Post hoc pair wise comparisons revealed all groups performed differently, with super ior performance being displayed by the YNH group followed by the ONH a nd OHI groups, respectively (p < 0.05). A significant group by S/N int eraction was observed in only the interrupted noise condition (p = 0.0 19). The degree of change in word recognition performance as a functio n of S/N was greatest in the OHI group followed by the ONH group and t he YNH group. Conclusions: Group effects observed in the interrupted n oise would imply that the two older groups of listeners had an auditor y temporal deficit relative to the YNH listeners. The paradigm reveals the patency of the temporal processes that are responsible for the pe rceptual advantage (i.e., a release from masking) a listener has in in terrupted competing stimulus.