uOttawa audiologists working on innovative ways to reduce the impact of noise interference

The presence of different noises, even at low intensity levels, can disrupt concentration and the ability to hear. Noisy environments are often associated with increased stress and decreased cognitive performance.

Josée Lagacé and Christian Giguère—professors, researchers and colleagues at the Faculty of Health Sciences—are helping us to “hear” more clearly. Both are studying the harmful effects of ambient noise on hearing, to develop assessment tools and intervention methods that can help remedy the situation. 

Full Professor Josée Lagacé is interested in the connection between hearing problems in noisy environments and learning difficulties in children. “In the classroom, learning takes place mainly by listening to the spoken word. However, for some children, ambient sounds, such as a pen clicking or a neighbouring pupil coughing, can be interpreted with the same intensity as the teacher’s voice, hindering comprehension and learning,” said Lagacé, director of the Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Program.

In particular, her research aims to better comprehend the underlying nature of children’s hearing difficulties, that is, whether they stem from an auditory, cognitive or language deficit, or from a combination of deficits. Once the cause has been identified, it becomes easier to find the type of intervention that will be most effective.  

“It’s important for audiologists to have measurement tools for assessing the ability to hear speech in noisy environments and for determining the cause of difficulties, since it’s not always related to deafness,” Lagacé says. 

Lagacé has helped develop various clinical tests for assessing speech perception in noisy environments, including the Words-in-Noise Test and the Canadian Digit Triplet Test, both of which are widely used in French-language clinical settings and in research.

When hearing difficulties are related to auditory processing of information, Lagacé tries to better understand the impact using the Words-in-Noise Test. “In this case, the child is asked to repeat simple words in the presence of noise (to) train the auditory system to identify relevant sound cues. As the child progresses, we can change the type or level of competing noise.” 

She adds that virtual reality is a new way of doing this auditory training. In one of her studies, children were placed in a virtual classroom and asked to respond to instructions given amid background sounds in a typical classroom.

While much of her work focuses on hearing difficulties in children, Lagacé  is also investigating the symptoms reported by numerous conference interpreters on Parliament Hill.

For some years now, the media and other publications have been reporting on symptoms similar to those of acoustic shock, such as hyperacusis (an intolerance to sound levels generally considered tolerable), tinnitus (noises that are perceived without any actual external source), blocked ear sensation and headaches. In collaboration with members of her research team and other specialists in the field, she’s working to better understand the cause of those debilitating symptoms.  

Full Professor Christian Giguère is interested in innovation in hearing devices, to address communication challenges in workplaces “where noise levels are harmful and hearing protection is required, but where workers still need to be able to hear, either to communicate verbally or to perceive audible warnings.” 

In his opinion, the tools commonly used, such as hearing aids, communication headsets and hearing protectors, have major shortcomings and don’t meet all needs. Hearing aids and communication headsets can amplify speech, but in noisy environments, the user has to turn up the volume to extreme levels to hear properly. As for hearing protectors, they attenuate not only noise, but also speech, hindering communication between colleagues.

The professor is working with a team in Montreal on a new hybrid technology that combines a hearing aid and a hearing protector. During quiet moments, the device will amplify speech to optimize communication, but if the surrounding noise becomes dangerously loud, the device will automatically turn into a hearing protector.

He gives the example of a construction site as an environment that would benefit from this new tool: “People using very noisy tools need hearing protection. But at the same time, they have to be alert to their surroundings to hear warning sounds, like a truck backing up towards them.” 

Giguère also collaborates with fire and police departments, in environments where people don’t necessarily work in harmful noise situations but where poor communication can have serious consequences. “Sound cues are a critical element for a police officer who needs to be able to quickly identify the source of a danger and communicate with their team.” 

Finally, “for tools to be effective, it’s essential to understand the source of hearing difficulties, communication needs and the environment in which people work,” Giguère says.