Enhancing Speech-in-Noise Comprehension through Working Memory Training: Insights for Practitioners

Understanding speech amidst background noise is a common challenge for older adults. This difficulty is often linked to declines in working memory and executive control processes. Recent research by Wayne et al. (2016) investigates the potential of working memory training to improve speech-in-noise comprehension in older adults, offering valuable insights for practitioners in the field of speech therapy.

The Role of Working Memory in Speech Comprehension

Working memory plays a crucial role in processing and understanding speech, especially in noisy environments. It helps individuals use contextual cues to interpret and make sense of spoken words. However, as people age, their working memory capacity often diminishes, impacting their ability to comprehend speech with background noise.

The Study: Exploring Working Memory Training

The study conducted by Wayne and colleagues involved 24 older adults who underwent adaptive working memory training using the Cogmed program. The research aimed to assess whether improvements in working memory could transfer to better performance in speech-in-noise tasks.

• Training Protocol: Participants engaged in 25 sessions of adaptive working memory training over ten weeks.
• Assessment: Cognitive tests and speech-in-noise tasks were conducted before and after the training period.
• Results: While participants showed improvement in working memory tasks, these gains did not significantly transfer to enhanced performance in speech-in-noise tasks.

Implications for Practitioners

The findings suggest that while working memory training can improve specific cognitive tasks, its direct impact on speech-in-noise comprehension may be limited. Practitioners should consider integrating cognitive strategies with traditional auditory rehabilitation methods for more comprehensive support.

• Diversify Training Approaches: Combine cognitive training with auditory exercises to address both cognitive and auditory processing challenges.
• Contextual Support: Encourage the use of contextual clues during therapy sessions to aid speech comprehension.
• Further Research: Encourage ongoing research into the interplay between cognitive functions and auditory processing to develop more effective interventions.

The study highlights the complexity of improving speech comprehension through cognitive training alone. While working memory is a key component, its enhancement does not automatically translate to better auditory processing in noisy environments.

Working Memory Training and Speech in Noise Comprehension in Older Adults