Traditional auditory training struggles with user engagement and accessibility, reducing long-term adherence and limiting clinical impact despite proven efficacy. We developed an augmented reality (AR) mobile application combining spatial audio rendering with adaptive auditory training targeting sound localization and speech-in-noise perception through selective auditory attention training. This feasibility study enrolled eleven adults (age: 53±3 years) who completed 4 weeks of at-home AR training using our mobile application. We measured training transfer using the Korean Matrix Sentence Test (KMST) at 0 dB, −6 dB, and −9 dB fixed signal-to-noise ratios (SNR) before and after training. Statistical analysis included paired t-tests with Bonferroni correction and reliable change index calculations. Significant improvements occurred across all KMST conditions: 0 dB (3.0 ± 2.9%, p = 0.006), −6 dB (7.3 ± 4.5%, p0.001), and −9 dB (10.5 ± 8.0%, p = 0.001). Training showed dose−response relationships, with training duration correlating with −6 dB KMST gains (r = 0.547, p = 0.082) and in-game localization performance predicting challenging speech-in-noise conditions (p = 0.054 for −6 dB, p = 0.045 for −9 dB). This feasibility study demonstrates measurable AR training transfer to speech-in-noise assessments, with seven participants (64%) achieving reliable improvement. Results support ecological auditory rehabilitation approaches and warrant larger randomized controlled trials. Work supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (N01250813).
Koh et al. (Wed,) studied this question.