Function of a hearing aid under stressful conditions.

The auditory function of individuals with normal hearing was compared with that of hearing-aided subjects of similar age to determine whether amplification remediates hearing impairment under stressful auditory situations. The specific tests of listening in a competitive noise environment and identifying moderately compressed speech were introduced to adequately aided individuals. The data indicate that noise had an impact on auditory function to a much greater degree in aided individuals than in matched counterparts with normal hearing. The data derived from acceleration of simple sentences delivered to the aided group suggested that contrary to basic tonal sensitivity, the capacity to understand the stimulus was greatly compromised. The authors discuss cochlear damage and central auditory impairment as they relate to the limitations of amplification for sensorineural hearing loss.