Schedule of Events | Symposia

Neurophysiological correlates of speech-in-competition performance during sensory and cognitive load interactions

Poster Session A - Saturday, March 29, 2025, 3:00 – 5:00 pm EDT, Back Bay Ballroom/Republic Ballroom

Erick Israel Correa-Medina^1,2, Rodolfo Solís-Vivanco^1,2, Esteban Sebastian Lelo de Larrea-Mancera^1,3; ¹Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía, Laboratory of Cognitive and Clinical Neurophysiology, ²Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, School of Psychology, ³Northeastern University, Center for Cognitive and Brain Health

Speech understanding in competitive scenarios (speech-in-competition, SIC) requires a complex integration of auditory and non-auditory information. Research has shown that sensory and cognitive processes can modulate SIC comprehension, but the interaction between sensory and cognitive loads is not well understood. This study analyzed the impact of sensory and cognitive load on behavioral performance and neurophysiological correlates during SIC tasks. EEG was recorded from 26 young adults with normal hearing and high education levels using a 19-channel system. We used the PART application to create one speech-in-quiet control task (SiQ) and four SIC tasks, varying masker voice characteristics such as gender, language, and spatialization. Each task was manipulated by adjusting sensory load (target-to-masker ratios) and cognitive load (simultaneous working memory task). All tasks were presented in a counterbalanced block design. Behavioral results showed a main effect of task characteristics and sensory and cognitive manipulations on SIC performance. The interaction between sensory and cognitive load showed that cognitive load affected performance only under low sensory load. Quantitative EEG analysis revealed a significant increase in alpha band power during SIC tasks, and a primary sensory effect predominating in parietal and occipital regions. Additionally, the interaction of sensory load significantly impacted alpha power only under high cognitive load conditions. Finally, no significant differences in alpha power were found between the different task types. The identified EEG correlates may serve as potential biomarkers for sensory and cognitive interactions during SIC and contribute to the understanding of the neural mechanisms of speech understanding under challenging conditions.

Topic Area: ATTENTION: Auditory