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      Patient App: Speech-in-Noise Lesson

      The Speech-in-Noise lesson is a foundational part of Lace AI Pro. It helps patients improve their ability to understand speech in real-world environments with background noise—one of the most common challenges for people with hearing loss.

      What It Trains

      This exercise targets the brain’s ability to:

      • Focus on speech in the presence of competing noise
      • Tune in to a speaker’s voice
      • Improve word recognition under pressure
      • Strengthen listening skills for everyday settings like restaurants, family gatherings, and public places

      Why It Matters

      Even with hearing aids, background noise can make it hard to follow conversations. The Speech-in-Noise exercise builds auditory resilience and improves listening accuracy, which supports real-world communication success.

      How It Works

      Each exercise presents a short spoken sentence over realistic background noise (like a restaurant or café). After hearing the sentence, patients choose the correct option from four on-screen choices.

      If a patient doesn’t catch the sentence, they can tap Replay once to hear it again before answering. This encourages active listening while supporting success.

      Adaptive Audio, Not Adaptive Levels

      The volume of background noise changes dynamically based on performance:

      • If the patient answers correctly, the background noise gets slightly louder.
      • If the patient misses several, the noise level becomes softer.

      Note: Lesson Levels do not control difficulty in Speech in Noise. Each session adjusts live based on how well the user is doing.

      Voices Used

      • Default Voice: One high-quality female narrator is used consistently to ensure clarity and consistency.
      • Familiar Voices: For patients using My Voices, a loved one’s voice will be used in some exercises to make training more meaningful.

      Scoring

      Speech in Noise responses contribute to the patient’s Hearing Score, which reflects how well they understand speech in noisy environments.

      Scores are tracked over time and can be viewed under My Progress > Assessments.

      Thresholds and Scoring Ranges

      The Speech in Noise exercise uses internal thresholds to assess listening ability in noisy environments. As patients progress, their responses are used to calculate an estimated Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) threshold, which reflects how much background noise they can tolerate while still understanding speech.


      Speech in Noise - Thresholds of Understanding in Environments

      1. Very Quiet
        • SNR Range: +15 dB and above
        • Description: Speech is significantly louder than background noise. Patients can easily follow conversations without any strain.
        • Real-World Scenario: Having a conversation in a quiet room where there is minimal background noise.
      2. Quiet
        • SNR Range: +10 to +14 dB
        • Description: Comfortable listening environment with some background noise, but speech remains clearly intelligible.
        • Real-World Scenario: Talking in a car with low road noise or in an office with mild ambient sound.
      3. Moderately Loud
        • SNR Range: +5 to +9 dB
        • Description: Moderate background noise where patients can understand speech with some effort; may miss nuances or lower-spoken words.
        • Real-World Scenario: Conversations in a busy cafe or during a family dinner in a moderately noisy home.
      4. Noisy
        • SNR Range: +1 to +4 dB
        • Description: Background noise is close to the level of speech; understanding requires considerable effort.
        • Real-World Scenario: Talking in a noisy restaurant or at a social gathering with background music and chatter.
      5. Very Noisy
        • SNR Range: 0 to +4 dB
        • Description: Speech and noise are at similar levels; understanding speech requires significant effort and concentration.
        • Real-World Scenario: Trying to communicate in environments like busy urban streets or crowded public transit.
      6. Extremely Noisy
        • SNR Range: Below 0 dB
        • Description: Background noise is louder than speech, making it very difficult to follow conversations without additional auditory and visual support.
        • Real-World Scenario: Attempting to hold a conversation in very loud settings such as near heavy machinery, during loud events, or in entertainment venues.

      Tips for Success

      • Use headphones or hearing aid device in a quiet room for best results
      • Focus your attention on the sentence, not the background noise
      • Practice regularly daily sessions lead to measurable improvements