What is speech in noise and how does it relate to cognition?

The phrase "speech in noise" refers to the ability for individuals to understand speech in the presence of background noise, such as other people talking or machinery running. This is a common yet effortful task that involves interactive auditory and cognitive processes.

Why are we interested in studying speech and cognition?

Age-related declines in the neural systems that underlie auditory and cognitive processes may explain why speech-in-noise recognition is especially difficult for older adults, even for those with little to no hearing loss. This project will design, implement, and test interventions that train top-down, executive functions within an auditory task in order to improve speech recognition in noise for older normal-hearing adults. The current proposal systematically tests the overarching hypothesis that speech recognition in noise can be improved via training that specifically targets the interactive neural systems that underlie changes in auditory-cognitive processing with age. By increasing our understanding of the aging brain, we aim to develop effective interventions to improve speech recognition and the overall quality of life of older adults.