Speech Perception in Noise Deficit in Individuals with Dyslexia: A Meta-Analysis

ABSTRACT Purpose Developmental dyslexia is a specific learning disorder that affects 5–17% children, and persists into adulthood. Speech perception in noise (SPIN) ability in dyslexia has been largely examined in previous studies. However, the available literature remains controversial and it is unclear under which conditions the deficits occur. The present meta-analysis explored the reliability of the SPIN deficit in dyslexia and examined possible moderators of the variability across studies. Method A robust variation estimation model was used based on 19 studies comprising 69 effect sizes. Results Individuals with dyslexia showed a reliable SPIN deficit (Hedges’ g = 0.64, 95% CI [0.41, 0.87], p < .001) compared to chronological age-matched controls, with the presence of moderate inter-study variability. Moderation analyses showed that the SPIN deficit in dyslexia was moderated by performance measure, manifesting a larger effect size measured by accuracy than by speech reception threshold. Nevertheless, comparable medium SPIN effect sizes were found for background noises inducing energetic masking and informational masking, as well as for children and adults with dyslexia. Conclusion The present meta-analysis for the first time provides a comprehensive understanding of the SPIN deficit and its underlying cognitive mechanisms in individuals with dyslexia.