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August 17, 2025Audiology ResearchOpen Access

Comparison of Prototype Transparent Mask, Opaque Mask, and No Mask on Speech Understanding in Noise

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Speech understanding is significantly better with transparent masks than opaque masks, especially for individuals with hearing loss.
Listeners with normal hearing showed strong performance across all testing conditions during the speech evaluation.
The Connected Speech Test assessed speech clarity in various conditions, indicating the advantage of audiovisual cues for communication.
Transparent masks may enhance patient interactions and reduce errors in clinical settings by preserving nonverbal communication.],
simple_explanation':'Wearing masks can make it hard to understand speech, especially if they block facial expressions. This study tested different masks, finding that transparent masks help people hear better by showing nonverbal cues. In noisy places, like hospitals, clear communication is super important for patients and doctors. Using transparent masks can really improve how well we understand each other! 😊'} ; } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` ``` } } ``` } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } . } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } . } } } } } } } } } } } } } } }).ut } } } } } } } } } } })
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Implication

Comparative analysis shows transparent masks improve speech understanding in individuals with hearing loss, highlighting nonverbal cues' importance.

Abstract

Background: Face masks are used in healthcare for the prevention of the spread of disease; however, the recent COVID-19 pandemic raised awareness of the challenges of typical opaque masks that obscure nonverbal cues. In addition, various masks have been shown to attenuate speech above 1000 Hz, and lack of nonverbal cues exacerbates speech understanding in the presence of background noise. Transparent masks can help to overcome the loss of nonverbal cues, but they have greater attenuative effects on higher speech frequencies. This study evaluated a newer prototype transparent face mask redesigned from a version evaluated in a previous study. Methods: Thirty participants (10 with normal hearing, 10 with moderate hearing loss, and 10 with severe-to-profound hearing loss) were recruited. Selected lists from the Connected Speech Test (CST) were digitally recorded using male and female talkers and presented to listeners at 65 dB HL in 12 conditions against a background of 4-talker babble (+5 dB SNR): without a mask (auditory only and audiovisual), with an opaque mask (auditory only and audiovisual), and with a transparent mask (auditory only and audiovisual). Results: Listeners with normal hearing performed consistently well across all conditions. For listeners with hearing loss, speech was generally easier to understand with the male talker. Audiovisual conditions were better than auditory-only conditions, and No Mask and Transparent Mask conditions were better than Opaque Mask conditions. Conclusions: These findings continue to support the use of transparent masks to improve communication, minimize medical errors, and increase patient satisfaction.

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Cite This Study

Atcherson et al. (2025) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/68a36f8a0a429f797333271e https://doi.org/10.3390/audiolres15040103

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Implication

Comparative analysis shows transparent masks improve speech understanding in individuals with hearing loss, highlighting nonverbal cues' importance.

Comparison of Prototype Transparent Mask, Opaque Mask, and No Mask on Speech Understanding in Noise

Key Points

Implication

Abstract

Discussion

Cite This Study

Comparison of Prototype Transparent Mask, Opaque Mask, and No Mask on Speech Understanding in Noise

Key Points

Implication

Abstract

Discussion

Cite This Study

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