Impact of visual mouth image presentation on speech perception in noise in normal hearing subjects and cochlear implant users

This study investigated the impact of visual speech cues on speech perception in noise and subjective listening effort in cochlear implant (CI) users compared with normal-hearing (NH) individuals. Furthermore, the study compared visual information presented either by a computer-generated avatar or by video recordings of a real speaker....

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Audiologists counselling cochlear implant users should be aware that even partial visual cues (mouth images alone) may reduce listening effort and improve speech understanding in noise, supporting the value of audiovisual rehabilitation strategies.

Quantifying the benefit of visual mouth cues for cochlear implant users supports evidence-based counselling on audiovisual communication strategies and the potential role of visual training in auditory rehabilitation.

1. 01Visual mouth-image cues were tested for their effect on speech perception in noise in two groups.
2. 02Cochlear implant users and normal-hearing subjects were directly compared.
3. 03Both speech intelligibility and listening effort (cognitive load) were measured as outcomes.
4. 04Published in PLoS ONE (2026); open-access methodology allows replication.
5. 05Findings have direct implications for audiovisual rehabilitation counselling for cochlear implant recipients.

PMID

42726743

DOI

10.1371/journal.pone.0357983.

Journal

PLoS ONE

Publication type

research_article

Evidence level

2b

Population

Cochlear implant users and normal-hearing adults

Intervention

Visual mouth-image cue presentation during speech-in-noise tasks

Comparator

Audio-only speech-in-noise condition; normal-hearing subjects as reference group