scholarly journals Spectrotemporal modulation sensitivity for hearing-impaired listeners: Dependence on carrier center frequency and the relationship to speech intelligibility

2014 ◽  
Vol 136 (1) ◽  
pp. 301-316 ◽  
Author(s):  
Golbarg Mehraei ◽  
Frederick J. Gallun ◽  
Marjorie R. Leek ◽  
Joshua G. W. Bernstein
Keyword(s):  
Speech Intelligibility ◽  
Hearing Impaired ◽  
Center Frequency ◽  
The Relationship

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DETECTING PITCH VIA BONE-CONDUCTED ULTRASOUND AND EIGENFREQUENCIES OF HUMAN HEAD

2006 ◽  
Vol 14 (03) ◽  
pp. 369-378 ◽  
Author(s):  
YOH-ICHI FUJISAKA ◽  
SEIJI NAKAGAWA ◽  
MITSUO TONOIKE
Keyword(s):  
Auditory Cortex ◽  
Frequency Dependence ◽  
Speech Intelligibility ◽  
Transfer Functions ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
Human Head ◽  
Hearing Impaired ◽  
Head Model ◽  
Human Head Model ◽  
The Relationship

This paper describes the relationship between the eigenfrequencies of CT scanned realistic human head model and the subjective detecting pitch, which is given by providing the bone-conducted ultrasound. Our goal is to develop the optimal bone-conducted ultrasonic hearing aid for profoundly hearing-impaired persons. An ascent of a speech intelligibility is the requirement of hearing aid. To improve it, the perception mechanism of the bone-conducted ultrasound must be clarified, but the conclusive agreement of it has not been reached yet, although many hypotheses were reported. The authors feel an interest in the detecting pitch of bone-conducted ultrasound with no frequency-dependence and predict that the cochleae are related to the perception mechanism for bone-conducted ultrasound, since it has been verified that the auditory cortex responds to bone-conducted ultrasound by MEG study. In this paper, waves propagating from the mastoid to both cochleae are numerically analyzed and the characteristics of transfer functions are estimated as a first step to clarifying the perception mechanism for detecting pitch of bone-conducted ultrasonic stimuli.

Acoustic Dimensions of Hearing-Impaired Speakers’ Intelligibility

1990 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 476-487 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dale Evan Metz ◽  
Vincent J. Samar ◽  
Nicholas Schiavetti ◽  
Ronald W. Sitler
Keyword(s):  
Principal Components ◽  
Speech Intelligibility ◽  
Spatial Differentiation ◽  
Hearing Impaired ◽  
Production Processes ◽  
Two Factors ◽  
Components Analysis ◽  
Temporal And Spatial ◽  
Predictive Relationships ◽  
The Relationship

Regression and principal components analyses were employed to study the relationship between 28 segmental and suprasegmental acoustic parameters of speech production and measures of speech intelligibility for 40 severely to profoundly hearing-impaired persons in an effort to extend the findings of Metz, Samar, Schiavetti, Sitler, and Whitehead (1985). The principal components analysis derived six factors that accounted for 59% of the variance in the original 28 parameters. Consistent with the findings of Metz et al., a subsequent regression analysis using these six factors as predictor variables revealed two factors with strong predictive relationships to speech intelligibility. One factor primarily reflected segmental production processes related to the temporal and spatial differentiation of phonemes, whereas the other primarily reflected suprasegmental production processes associated with contrastive stress. However, the predictive capability of the present factor structure was somewhat reduced relative to the findings of Metz et al. (1985). Data presented indicate that the populations sampled in the two studies may have differed on one or more dimensions of subject characteristics. Considered collectively, the present findings and the findings of Metz et al. support the tractability of employing selected acoustic variables for the estimation of speech intelligibility.

Relationship between Two Measures of Aided Binaural Advantage

1984 ◽  
Vol 49 (4) ◽  
pp. 399-408 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robyn M. Cox ◽  
Jan D. Bisset
Keyword(s):  
Speech Intelligibility ◽  
Paired Comparison ◽  
Hearing Impaired ◽  
Speech Sample ◽  
Comparison Task ◽  
High Predictability ◽  
Two Measures ◽  
Interaural Differences ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Conventional Paradigm

The relationship between aided binaural squelch measured using a conventional paradigm and binaural squelch inferred from the ability to detect an intelligibility difference between binaural and pseudobinaural stimuli (presumably utilizing interaural time and intensity cues) was investigated. The conventional measures of aided binaural squelch included the NU-6 monosylla bles and the high-predictability sentences from the revised SPIN test. For each measure, binaural squelch was derived by comparing the binaural intelligibility of speech-in-babble with corresponding monaural scores. Subjects were also asked to select the more intelligible hearing-aid-processed speech sample when presented with a paired-comparison task in which each pair consisted of a binaural and a pseudobinaural stimulus. Ability to choose the binaural stimulus as most intelligible was considered to be evidence of binaural squelch ability. Although the hearing-impaired subjects demonstrated typical binaural squelch for the conventional speech tests, they were usually unable to distinguish between the binaural/pseudobinaural pairs. These results suggest that (a) binaural squelch measured using conventional procedures does not necessarily quantify the listener's ability to profit from interaural differences, and (b) many hearing-impaired individuals may be unable to utilize interaural differences to enhance speech intelligibility in noise.

Comparison of In-the-Ear and Over-the-Ear Hearing Aid Fittings

1986 ◽  
Vol 51 (4) ◽  
pp. 362-369 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donna M. Risberg ◽  
Robyn M. Cox
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Aids ◽  
High Frequency ◽  
Comparative Evaluation ◽  
Speech Intelligibility ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
Hearing Aid Fitting ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Functional Gain ◽  
The Relationship

A custom in-the-ear (ITE) hearing aid fitting was compared to two over-the-ear (OTE) hearing aid fittings for each of 9 subjects with mild to moderately severe hearing losses. Speech intelligibility via the three instruments was compared using the Speech Intelligibility Rating (SIR) test. The relationship between functional gain and coupler gain was compared for the ITE and the higher rated OTE instruments. The difference in input received at the microphone locations of the two types of hearing aids was measured for 10 different subjects and compared to the functional gain data. It was concluded that (a) for persons with mild to moderately severe hearing losses, appropriately adjusted custom ITE fittings typically yield speech intelligibility that is equal to the better OTE fitting identified in a comparative evaluation; and (b) gain prescriptions for ITE hearing aids should be adjusted to account for the high-frequency emphasis associated with in-the-concha microphone placement.

Assessment of Intelligibility in Children with Velopharyngeal Insufficiency: The Relationship between Intelligibility in Context Scale and Experimental Measures

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Hedieh Hashemi Hosseinabad ◽  
Karla N. Washington ◽  
Suzanne E. Boyce ◽  
Noah Silbert ◽  
Ann W. Kummer
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Clinical Application ◽  
Speech Intelligibility ◽  
Velopharyngeal Insufficiency ◽  
Point Scale ◽  
Indirect Measure ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
Parental Reports ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Children's Speech

<b><i>Purpose:</i></b> The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical application of the Intelligibility in Context Scale (ICS) instrument in children with velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI). This study investigated the relationship between clinical speech outcomes and parental reports of speech intelligibility across various communicative partners. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> The ICS was completed by the parents of 20 English-speaking children aged 4–12 years diagnosed with VPI. The parents were asked to rate their children’s speech intelligibility across communication partners using a 5-point scale. Clinical metrics obtained using standard clinical transcription on the Picture-Cued SNAP-R Test were: (1) percentage of consonants correct (PCC), (2) percentage of vowels correct (PVC), and (3) percentage of phonemes correct (PPC). Nasalance from nasometer data was included as an indirect measure of nasality. Intelligibility scores obtained from naive listener’s transcriptions and speech-language pathologists’ (SLP) ratings were compared with the ICS results. <b><i>Result:</i></b> Greater PCC, PPC, PVC, and transcription-based intelligibility values were significantly associated with higher ICS values, respectively (<i>r</i>[20] = 0.84, 0.82, 0.51, and 0.70, respectively; <i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.05 in all cases). There was a negative and significant correlation between ICS mean scores and SLP ratings of intelligibility (<i>r</i> = –0.74; <i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.001). There was no significant correlation between ICS values and nasalance scores (<i>r</i>[20] = –0.28; <i>p</i> = 0.22). <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> The high correlations obtained between the ICS with PCC and PPC measures indicate that articulation accuracy has had a great impact on parents’ decision-making regarding intelligibility in this population. Significant agreement among ICS scores with naive listener transcriptions and clinical ratings supports use of the ICS in practice.

scholarly journals Measuring the Influence of Noise Reduction on Listening Effort in Hearing-Impaired Listeners Using Response Times to an Arithmetic Task in Noise

2021 ◽  
Vol 25 ◽  
pp. 233121652110144
Author(s):  
Ilja Reinten ◽  
Inge De Ronde-Brons ◽  
Rolph Houben ◽  
Wouter Dreschler
Keyword(s):  
Noise Reduction ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Speech Intelligibility ◽  
Response Times ◽  
Hearing Impaired ◽  
Listening Effort ◽  
Arithmetic Task ◽  
Test Retest Reliability ◽  
Influence Of Noise ◽  
Measured Response

Single microphone noise reduction (NR) in hearing aids can provide a subjective benefit even when there is no objective improvement in speech intelligibility. A possible explanation lies in a reduction of listening effort. Previously, we showed that response times (a proxy for listening effort) to an auditory-only dual-task were reduced by NR in normal-hearing (NH) listeners. In this study, we investigate if the results from NH listeners extend to the hearing-impaired (HI), the target group for hearing aids. In addition, we assess the relevance of the outcome measure for studying and understanding listening effort. Twelve HI subjects were asked to sum two digits of a digit triplet in noise. We measured response times to this task, as well as subjective listening effort and speech intelligibility. Stimuli were presented at three signal-to-noise ratios (SNR; –5, 0, +5 dB) and in quiet. Stimuli were processed with ideal or nonideal NR, or unprocessed. The effect of NR on response times in HI listeners was significant only in conditions where speech intelligibility was also affected (–5 dB SNR). This is in contrast to the previous results with NH listeners. There was a significant effect of SNR on response times for HI listeners. The response time measure was reasonably correlated ( R142 = 0.54) to subjective listening effort and showed a sufficient test–retest reliability. This study thus presents an objective, valid, and reliable measure for evaluating an aspect of listening effort of HI listeners.

scholarly journals Mechanisms of Spectrotemporal Modulation Detection for Normal- and Hearing-Impaired Listeners

2021 ◽  
Vol 25 ◽  
pp. 233121652097802
Author(s):  
Emmanuel Ponsot ◽  
Léo Varnet ◽  
Nicolas Wallaert ◽  
Elza Daoud ◽  
Shihab A. Shamma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Speech Intelligibility ◽  
Hearing Impaired ◽  
Temporal Modulation ◽  
Computational Tools ◽  
Cochlear Tuning ◽  
Cochlear Hearing Loss ◽  
Nonlinear Processing ◽  
Linear Band ◽  
Band Pass ◽  
Modulation Filter

Spectrotemporal modulations (STM) are essential features of speech signals that make them intelligible. While their encoding has been widely investigated in neurophysiology, we still lack a full understanding of how STMs are processed at the behavioral level and how cochlear hearing loss impacts this processing. Here, we introduce a novel methodological framework based on psychophysical reverse correlation deployed in the modulation space to characterize the mechanisms underlying STM detection in noise. We derive perceptual filters for young normal-hearing and older hearing-impaired individuals performing a detection task of an elementary target STM (a given product of temporal and spectral modulations) embedded in other masking STMs. Analyzed with computational tools, our data show that both groups rely on a comparable linear (band-pass)–nonlinear processing cascade, which can be well accounted for by a temporal modulation filter bank model combined with cross-correlation against the target representation. Our results also suggest that the modulation mistuning observed for the hearing-impaired group results primarily from broader cochlear filters. Yet, we find idiosyncratic behaviors that cannot be captured by cochlear tuning alone, highlighting the need to consider variability originating from additional mechanisms. Overall, this integrated experimental-computational approach offers a principled way to assess suprathreshold processing distortions in each individual and could thus be used to further investigate interindividual differences in speech intelligibility.

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