Research Projects

The study aims to investigate the impact of cognition, spectro-temporal processing, and speech perception on consonant recognition in different vowel environments in older adults. The research will involve three phases: estimating frequently occurring vowel environments in Kannada, recording naturally produced CV word-initial consonant and VCV word-medial consonant syllables from native males and females, and measuring cognition, spectro-temporal processing, and consonant identification across age groups. The study will divide participants into three gender-matched groups: Young adults 18-25 years with normal hearing, Older adults 60-70 years with normal hearing, and Older adults 70-80 years with normal hearing. 30 subjects will be screened for cognitive and auditory processing deficits as inclusion criteria. Cognitive measures will include working memory, operation span, sentence final word recall, auditory memory and sequencing, and selective attention Eriksen Flanker Task. Spectro-temporal processing will be assessed using a three alternative forced-choice procedure. Consonant identification will be measured in the most frequent vowel environments, where listeners pick from a closed set of 12 labeled choices on a monitor. The data will be analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical procedures. The aim is to build a stable regression model that uses measures of cognition and spectro-temporal processing to explain the large amount of variance in speech processing deficits that set in with age. The findings will serve as the basis for follow-up investigation in older adults with hearing loss. Based on the study findings, training programs can be designed with appropriate weightage on cognitive and auditory processing abilities, potentially improving the quality of life of older adults.