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. 2020 Jan-Dec:24:2331216520932467.
doi: 10.1177/2331216520932467.

Perception of One's Own Voice After Hearing-Aid Fitting for Naive Hearing-Aid Users and Hearing-Aid Refitting for Experienced Hearing-Aid Users

Johanna Hengen  1   2 , Inger L Hammarström  1 , Stefan Stenfelt  1   2
Affiliations

Perception of One's Own Voice After Hearing-Aid Fitting for Naive Hearing-Aid Users and Hearing-Aid Refitting for Experienced Hearing-Aid Users

Johanna Hengen et al. Trends Hear. 2020 Jan-Dec.

Abstract

Dissatisfaction with the sound of one's own voice is common among hearing-aid users. Little is known regarding how hearing impairment and hearing aids separately affect own-voice perception. This study examined own-voice perception and associated issues before and after a hearing-aid fitting for new hearing-aid users and refitting for experienced users to investigate whether it was possible to differentiate between the effect of (unaided) hearing impairment and hearing aids. Further aims were to investigate whether First-Time and Experienced users as well as users with dome and mold inserts differed in the severity of own-voice problems. The study had a cohort design with three groups: First-Time hearing-aid users going from unaided to aided hearing (n = 70), Experienced hearing-aid users replacing their old hearing aids (n = 70), and an unaided control group (n = 70). The control group was surveyed once and the hearing-aid users twice; once before hearing-aid fitting/refitting and once after. The results demonstrated that own-voice problems are common among both First-Time and Experienced hearing-aid users with either dome- or mold-type fittings, while people with near-normal hearing and not using hearing aids report few problems. Hearing aids increased ratings of own-voice problems among First-Time users, particularly those with mold inserts. The results suggest that altered auditory feedback through unaided hearing impairment or through hearing aids is likely both to change own-voice perception and complicate regulation of vocal intensity, but hearing aids are the primary reason for poor perceived sound quality of one's own voice.

Keywords: auditory perception; hearing aids; hearing impairment; voice; voice quality.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting Interests: The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Audiograms Displaying the Average Hearing Thresholds (dB HL) With Bold Lines, Minimum/Maximum Values in Thin Lines, Whiskers for Standard Deviations for the Frequencies 0.125, 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, and 8 kHz for the Three Different Groups. Inclusion criterion thresholds for the control group are plotted with a red “x.”
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Boxplot Showing the Median, Upper, and Lower Quartiles and Minimum/Maximum Values for Scores on the VHI and HHIE for Each Group Before and After Hearing-Aid Fitting/Refitting. HHIE = Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly; VHI = Voice Handicap Index.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Boxplots Showing the Median, Upper, and Lower Quartiles and Minimum/Maximum Values for Scores for Statements A1 and I1 and the Categories “Voice Intensity Control,” “Speak and Hear,” and “DSQ”. Scores from composite variables have been divided by the number of category items to display all results on the 0- to 8-step scale used in the questionnaire and to facilitate comparisons between the different sections. Significant values from ANCOVA post hoc tests are shown with asterisks and brackets at the top of the graphs, while significant values from ANOVA post hoc tests are shown with asterisks and brackets at the bottom of the graphs. DSQ = disturbing sound qualities.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Response distributions before and after hearing-aid fitting for the statement “The sound of my own voice is a problem to me,” divided into main groups (A) and subgroups (B). Asterisks denote number of missing responses.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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