Hearing and speech processing are cognitive processes – they happen in the brain. Hearing loss is a sound processing deficiency that impacts an individual’s capacity for retention and recall.
Oticon takes a “BrainHearing” approach to the development of hearing aid technology. They have created devices that process and interpret sounds and speech the same way the brain does. In clinical testing, the latest “BrainHearing” device, the Oticon Opn, improved cognition by 30% and retention by 20%.
SWIR Test Setup
In partnership with Linkoping University in Sweden, Oticon administered the SWIR (Sentence-final Word Identification and Recall) test to measure how well individuals with hearing loss can remember conversations.
Study participants were placed in a sound booth, where they listened to seven sentences under two listening conditions – medium difficulty (95% speech recognition) and increased difficulty (70% speech recognition). After hearing all seven sentences, subjects recalled as many of the last words of each sentence as they could.
The test was performed twice – once with participants using the OpenSound Navigator and once without the aid of the device – and researchers compared the results.
Oticon Opn Key Findings:
Subjects were able to recall more of the final words in the testing sentences when using OpenSound Navigator, indicating improved cognition and recall.
Researchers saw improvement for all positions, with the biggest improvement at the beginning of the aided test. This finding indicates that the OpenSound Navigator helps enhance the encoding of words into long-term memory, reducing cognitive load and enabling better recall.
This test overview video offers more information on the testing setup and results.
The Bottom Line:
The Oticon Opn helps wearers use less brain power to understand and interpret the sounds they hear, which improves their capacity for retention and recall, even in challenging listening environments.
At Audiology and Hearing Aid Solutions, we understand that hearing happens in the brain, which makes your hearing health a medical need. We recommend considering the new Oticon Opn to better hear the sounds of your life.
Contact us today at 888.473.8702 to schedule your hearing evaluation today and test the Oticon Opn hearing aid for yourself. We’re conveniently located throughout Northern NJ, and can’t wait to find a hearing aid solution to suit your needs.
