The use of articulation theory and the speech intelligibility index in the design of clinical speech perception tests

2015 ◽  
Vol 137 (4) ◽  
pp. 2280-2280
Author(s):  
Douglas Brungart ◽  
Kenneth W. Grant
2019 ◽  
Vol 62 (5) ◽  
pp. 1517-1531 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sungmin Lee ◽  
Lisa Lucks Mendel ◽  
Gavin M. Bidelman

Purpose Although the speech intelligibility index (SII) has been widely applied in the field of audiology and other related areas, application of this metric to cochlear implants (CIs) has yet to be investigated. In this study, SIIs for CI users were calculated to investigate whether the SII could be an effective tool for predicting speech perception performance in a population with CI. Method Fifteen pre- and postlingually deafened adults with CI participated. Speech recognition scores were measured using the AzBio sentence lists. CI users also completed questionnaires and performed psychoacoustic (spectral and temporal resolution) and cognitive function (digit span) tests. Obtained SIIs were compared with predicted SIIs using a transfer function curve. Correlation and regression analyses were conducted on perceptual and demographic predictor variables to investigate the association between these factors and speech perception performance. Result Because of the considerably poor hearing and large individual variability in performance, the SII did not predict speech performance for this CI group using the traditional calculation. However, new SII models were developed incorporating predictive factors, which improved the accuracy of SII predictions in listeners with CI. Conclusion Conventional SII models are not appropriate for predicting speech perception scores for CI users. Demographic variables (aided audibility and duration of deafness) and perceptual–cognitive skills (gap detection and auditory digit span outcomes) are needed to improve the use of the SII for listeners with CI. Future studies are needed to improve our CI-corrected SII model by considering additional predictive factors. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.8057003


2019 ◽  
Vol 62 (9) ◽  
pp. 3290-3301
Author(s):  
Jingjing Guan ◽  
Chang Liu

Purpose Degraded speech intelligibility in background noise is a common complaint of listeners with hearing loss. The purpose of the current study is to explore whether 2nd formant (F2) enhancement improves speech perception in noise for older listeners with hearing impairment (HI) and normal hearing (NH). Method Target words (e.g., color and digit) were selected and presented based on the paradigm of the coordinate response measure corpus. Speech recognition thresholds with original and F2-enhanced speech in 2- and 6-talker babble were examined for older listeners with NH and HI. Results The thresholds for both the NH and HI groups improved for enhanced speech signals primarily in 2-talker babble, but not in 6-talker babble. The F2 enhancement benefits did not correlate significantly with listeners' age and their average hearing thresholds in most listening conditions. However, speech intelligibility index values increased significantly with F2 enhancement in babble for listeners with HI, but not for NH listeners. Conclusions Speech sounds with F2 enhancement may improve listeners' speech perception in 2-talker babble, possibly due to a greater amount of speech information available in temporally modulated noise or a better capacity to separate speech signals from background babble.


2010 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. 329-339 ◽  
Author(s):  
Torsten Rahne ◽  
Michael Ziese ◽  
Dorothea Rostalski ◽  
Roland Mühler

This paper describes a logatome discrimination test for the assessment of speech perception in cochlear implant users (CI users), based on a multilingual speech database, the Oldenburg Logatome Corpus, which was originally recorded for the comparison of human and automated speech recognition. The logatome discrimination task is based on the presentation of 100 logatome pairs (i.e., nonsense syllables) with balanced representations of alternating “vowel-replacement” and “consonant-replacement” paradigms in order to assess phoneme confusions. Thirteen adult normal hearing listeners and eight adult CI users, including both good and poor performers, were included in the study and completed the test after their speech intelligibility abilities were evaluated with an established sentence test in noise. Furthermore, the discrimination abilities were measured electrophysiologically by recording the mismatch negativity (MMN) as a component of auditory event-related potentials. The results show a clear MMN response only for normal hearing listeners and CI users with good performance, correlating with their logatome discrimination abilities. Higher discrimination scores for vowel-replacement paradigms than for the consonant-replacement paradigms were found. We conclude that the logatome discrimination test is well suited to monitor the speech perception skills of CI users. Due to the large number of available spoken logatome items, the Oldenburg Logatome Corpus appears to provide a useful and powerful basis for further development of speech perception tests for CI users.


2021 ◽  
Vol 69 (2) ◽  
pp. 173-179
Author(s):  
Nilolina Samardzic ◽  
Brian C.J. Moore

Traditional methods for predicting the intelligibility of speech in the presence of noise inside a vehicle, such as the Articulation Index (AI), the Speech Intelligibility Index (SII), and the Speech Transmission Index (STI), are not accurate, probably because they do not take binaural listening into account; the signals reaching the two ears can differ markedly depending on the positions of the talker and listener. We propose a new method for predicting the intelligibility of speech in a vehicle, based on the ratio of the binaural loudness of the speech to the binaural loudness of the noise, each calculated using the method specified in ISO 532-2 (2017). The method was found to give accurate predictions of the speech reception threshold (SRT) measured under a variety of conditions and for different positions of the talker and listener in a car. The typical error in the predicted SRT was 1.3 dB, which is markedly smaller than estimated using the SII and STI (2.0 dB and 2.1 dB, respectively).


2021 ◽  
Vol 69 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-85
Author(s):  
Cheol-Ho Jeong ◽  
Wan-Ho Cho ◽  
Ji-Ho Chang ◽  
Sung-Hyun Lee ◽  
Chang-Wook Kang ◽  
...  

Hearing-impaired people need more stringent acoustic and noise requirements than normal-hearing people in terms of speech intelligibility and listening effort. Multiple guidelines recommend a maximum reverberation time of 0.4 s in classrooms, signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) greater than 15 dB, and ambient noise levels lower than 35 dBA. We measured noise levels and room acoustic parameters of 12 classrooms in two schools for hearing-impaired pupils, a dormitory apartment for the hearing-impaired, and a church mainly for the hearing-impaired in the Republic of Korea. Additionally, subjective speech clarity and quality of verbal communication were evaluated through questionnaires and interviews with hearing-impaired students in one school. Large differences in subjective speech perception were found between younger primary school pupils and older pupils. Subjective data from the questionnaire and interview were inconsistent; major challenges in obtaining reliable subjective speech perception and limitations of the results are discussed.


2020 ◽  
Vol 24 ◽  
pp. 233121652097563
Author(s):  
Christopher F. Hauth ◽  
Simon C. Berning ◽  
Birger Kollmeier ◽  
Thomas Brand

The equalization cancellation model is often used to predict the binaural masking level difference. Previously its application to speech in noise has required separate knowledge about the speech and noise signals to maximize the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Here, a novel, blind equalization cancellation model is introduced that can use the mixed signals. This approach does not require any assumptions about particular sound source directions. It uses different strategies for positive and negative SNRs, with the switching between the two steered by a blind decision stage utilizing modulation cues. The output of the model is a single-channel signal with enhanced SNR, which we analyzed using the speech intelligibility index to compare speech intelligibility predictions. In a first experiment, the model was tested on experimental data obtained in a scenario with spatially separated target and masker signals. Predicted speech recognition thresholds were in good agreement with measured speech recognition thresholds with a root mean square error less than 1 dB. A second experiment investigated signals at positive SNRs, which was achieved using time compressed and low-pass filtered speech. The results demonstrated that binaural unmasking of speech occurs at positive SNRs and that the modulation-based switching strategy can predict the experimental results.


2016 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 383-390 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca L. Heywood ◽  
Deborah A. Vickers ◽  
Francesca Pinto ◽  
George Fereos ◽  
Azhar Shaida

The objectives of this study were to assess: (i) patient expectations met as a measure of outcome in early-deafened, late-implanted (non-traditional) cochlear implant recipients and (ii) pre-implantation predictive factors for postoperative speech perception. The notes of 13 recipients were retrospectively reviewed. The mean age at onset of profound deafness was 1.5 years (range 0-6). The mean age at implantation was 37 years (range 22-51 years). Patient expectations were assessed pre-operatively and 1 year after implantation. They were met or exceeded in 129/140 (92%) domains overall. A higher Speech Intelligibility Rating and audiovisual City University of New York sentence score before implantation were found to be positive predictive factors for improved speech discrimination after cochlear implantation.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
N Freimann ◽  
D Polterauer ◽  
S Gollwitzer ◽  
J Müller ◽  
ME Schuster

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document