Auditory brainstem encoding of speech-in-noise predicts word identification, narrative comprehension, and subjective listening effort in a selective attention task

The auditory brainstem plays a crucial role in speech-in-noise listening, refining numerous acoustic features such as pitch and spatial location under continual descending influence from cortex. However, the difficulty of characterizing brainstem activity during continuous speech listening has obscured its functional role in ecologically valid contexts-not only the effects of selective attention on neural responses,...

Continue reading at PubMed →

Auditory brainstem responses to speech-in-noise show promise as objective predictors of real-world listening effort and comprehension; while not yet ready for routine clinical use, these findings support the case for incorporating subcortical electrophysiology into comprehensive hearing evaluations.

Demonstrating that a subcortical measure (brainstem encoding) predicts multiple real-world listening outcomes strengthens the clinical and research case for electrophysiological biomarkers of listening difficulty beyond pure-tone audiometry.

1. 01Brainstem encoding fidelity during speech-in-noise significantly predicted word identification accuracy.
2. 02The same measure also predicted narrative comprehension and self-reported listening effort.
3. 03Tested in a selective attention paradigm, reflecting real-world multi-talker listening demands.
4. 04Published in eNeuro; results elevate auditory brainstem response as a potential multi-domain biomarker.
5. 05Findings bridge basic neuroscience and clinical audiology by linking subcortical physiology to functional outcomes.

PMID

42601223

DOI

10.1523/ENEURO.0272-25.2026.

Journal

eNeuro

Publication type

research_article

Evidence level

2b

Population

Adults performing a selective attention task in noise conditions

Intervention

Measurement of auditory brainstem encoding of speech-in-noise