The Effects of Working Memory Training on Speech Perception in Multi-Talker Environments

Abstract

Older adults often experience difficulty distinguishing speech sounds with the presence of background noise. Some of the decreases in performance when listening to speech in noise have been attributed to deteriorations in executive functions with progressing age. Studies revealed that efforts to improve executive functions correlated with improved speech perception in noise; however, these studies implemented training paradigms created specifically for the laboratory setting and were altogether unavailable to the public. Therefore, the current study evaluated whether playing free internet based brain games for twenty minutes over a two week period improved working memory and garnered cross-modal improvements in speech perception in noise. Participants included adults over the age of 65 years who earned a passing score on the mini-mental status exam and passed a pure tone hearing screen in at least one ear.  Older adult participants completed a baseline assessment consisting of a standardized measure of mood, two speech perception in noise tasks, as well as a standard neuropsychology measure of working memory. Participants were randomly selected into a visual working memory training group or an auditory working memory training group. The study consisted of eight twenty minute training sessions spread across two weeks with a mid-study re-assessment of the baseline measures on the fourth training day.  Upon completion of the training regimen, the baseline measures were repeated for a third time. Descriptive statistics suggested that both training modalities resulted in minor improvements in working memory capacity averages. Generally, the auditory working memory group demonstrated larger improvements in one of the speech perception in noise measure compared to the visual working memory group. In both training groups, there was a large degree of individual variability.