As people with hearing loss work to improve their speech recognition, a familiar voice may work better than a generic one, research shows.
Researcher Nancy Tye-Murray calls hearing loss “the invisible disability.” It can masquerade as other problems, from dementia to depression, and it can make those problems worse. With an aging population, the detrimental effects of hearing loss will only grow.
To help people with hearing loss navigate their daily lives, Tye-Murray and her colleagues at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have developed software tools to improve speech recognition and to provide ongoing contact with an audiologist. The program is called “customized learning: Exercises for Aural Rehabilitation,” or clEAR.
“Hearing loss destroys self-identity,” says Tye-Murray, a professor of otolaryngology and of audiology and communication sciences. “The inability to hear and participate in everyday conversations is isolating and can destroy relationships with family, friends, and coworkers.”
“In my lab, we have been developing computer software to help adults and children with hearing loss practice listening, helping train the ear to better understand the people who are most important in their lives,” Tye-Murray says.
