Temporal resolution and speech perception in noise of adults with and without HIV with normal audiometric results

Abstract

The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) epidemic is now in its third decade and it is growing to be one of the greatest health challenges the world has to face. At the end of 2018, the UNAIDS estimated that there were about 37.9 million people globally infected with HIV and AIDS. It was also estimated in 2018 that 7.7 million members of the South African population were HIV+. A disorder of the auditory system, such as a hearing loss, is one of the many effects that the HIV virus may have on the human body. Furthermore, central nervous system (CNS) damage can be a devastating consequence of HIV infection. The majority of research that was done regarding hearing in individuals with HIV has focused on peripheral hearing loss, with limited research reporting on auditory processing. The main aim of this study was to determine the temporal resolution abilities and speech-in-noise perception of adults with HIV with normal audiometric results (audiograms) and to compare the findings to those obtained from healthy age and gender matched controls without HIV. A descriptive, cross-sectional comparative research design was utilized in this research study. Purposive convenience sampling was used to recruit participants with and without HIV. This research study consisted of an HIV+ group (n=20) and an age and gender matched HIV- control group (n=20). All the participants in this study were in the age range of 18 to 40 years, had already been diagnosed as HIV negative or positive, and had audiometric and acoustic immittance test results that could be classified as normal. The procedures used for data gathering consisted of auditory processing tests including the Digits-In-Noise Test (DIN), the Gaps-In-Noise Test (GIN), and the Random Gap Detection Test (RGDT). The two groups of participants were compared based on the results of the auditory processing tests. The results for the RGDT regarding the mean gap detection threshold indicated a statistically significant difference (p<0.001) between the HIV and control group at all test frequencies. A statistically significant difference (p<0.001) was obtained for the total percentage correct scores as well as the mean gap detection threshold between the two groups for the GIN test. Finally, a statistically significant difference was found between the two groups when speech-in-noise abilities was measured through the DIN test. This study provided more information on the effects of HIV on speech perception in noise, auditory information processing and more explicitly on temporal resolution. Evidence of the present study suggests a strong association between HIV and temporal resolution abilities. If individuals that are HIV+ present with temporal resolution deficits it could lead to speech-in-noise difficulties, as this processing ability is a precondition for comprehending speech in background noise as well as in quiet, as speech sounds fluctuate over time.