Effects of nonlinear frequency compression on Mandarin speech recognition and sound quality perception in hearing-aid users

2017 ◽  
Vol 142 (4) ◽  
pp. 2610-2610
Author(s):  
Xueqing Chen ◽  
Yanyan You ◽  
Jing Yang ◽  
Li Xu
Keyword(s):  
Speech Recognition ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
Sound Quality ◽  
Nonlinear Frequency ◽  
Frequency Compression ◽  
Quality Perception ◽  
Mandarin Speech Recognition

Effects of nonlinear frequency compression on Mandarin speech and sound-quality perception in hearing-aid users

2020 ◽  
Vol 59 (7) ◽  
pp. 524-533
Author(s):  
Xueqing Chen ◽  
Yanyan You ◽  
Jing Yang ◽  
Jinyu Qian ◽  
Qian Lu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Aid ◽  
Sound Quality ◽  
Nonlinear Frequency ◽  
Frequency Compression ◽  
Quality Perception

Benefits of Nonlinear Frequency Compression in Adult Hearing Aid Users

2015 ◽  
Vol 26 (10) ◽  
pp. 838-855 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa Kokx-Ryan ◽  
Julie Cohen ◽  
Mary T. Cord ◽  
Therese C. Walden ◽  
Matthew J. Makashay ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Speech Recognition ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
Nonlinear Frequency ◽  
Frequency Compression ◽  
Repeated Measures Design ◽  
Clinical Procedures ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Modified Rhyme Test

Background: Frequency-lowering (FL) algorithms are an alternative method of providing access to high-frequency speech cues. There is currently a lack of independent research addressing: (1) what functional, measureable benefits FL provides; (2) which, if any, FL algorithm provides the maximum benefit, (3) how to clinically program algorithms, and (4) how to verify algorithm settings. Purpose: Two experiments were included in this study. The purpose of Experiment 1 was to (1) determine if a commercially available nonlinear frequency compression (NLFC) algorithm provides benefit as measured by improved speech recognition in noise when fit and verified using standard clinical procedures; and (2) evaluate the impact of acclimatization. The purpose of Experiment 2 was to (1) evaluate the benefit of using enhanced verification procedures to systematically determine the optimal application of a prototype NLFC algorithm, and (2) determine if the optimized prototype NLFC settings provide benefit as measured by improved speech recognition in quiet and in noise. Research Design: A single-blind, within-participant repeated measures design in which participants served as their own controls. Study Sample: Experiment 1 included 26 participants with a mean age of 68.3 yr and Experiment 2 included 37 participants with a mean age of 68.8 yr. Participants were recruited from the Audiology and Speech Pathology Center at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, MD. Intervention: Participants in Experiment 1 wore bilateral commercially available hearing aids fit using standard clinical procedures and clinician expertise. Participants in Experiment 2 wore a single prototype hearing aid for which FL settings were systematically examined to determine the optimum application. In each experiment, FL-On versus FL-Off settings were examined in a variety of listening situations to determine benefit and possible implications. Data Collection and Analysis: In Experiment 1, speech recognition measures using the QuickSIN and Modified Rhyme Test stimuli were obtained at initial bilateral fitting and 3–5 weeks later during a follow-up visit. In Experiment 2, Modified Rhyme Test, /s/, /∫/ consonant discrimination task, and dual-task cognitive load speech recognition performance measures were conducted. Participants in Experiment 2 received four different systematic hearing aid programs during an initial visit and speech recognition data were collected over 2–3 follow-up sessions. Results: Some adults with hearing loss obtained small-to-moderate benefits from implementation of FL, while others maintained performance without detriment in both experiments. There was no significant difference among FL-On settings systematically obtained in Experiment 2. There was a modest but significant age effect in listeners of both experiments that indicated older listeners (>65 yr) might benefit more on average from FL than younger listeners. In addition, there were reliable improvements in the intelligibility of the phonemes /η/ and /b/ for both groups, and /ð/ for older listeners from the FL in both experiments. Conclusions: Although the optimum settings, application, and benefits of FL remain unclear at this time, there does not seem to be degradation in listener performance when FL is activated. The benefits of FL should be explored in older adult (>65 yr) listeners, as they tended to benefit more from FL applications.

scholarly journals Speech Perception and Sound-Quality Rating with an Adaptive Nonlinear Frequency Compression Algorithm in Mandarin-Speaking Hearing Aid Users

2020 ◽  
Vol 31 (08) ◽  
pp. 590-598
Author(s):  
Li Xu ◽  
Solveig C. Voss ◽  
Jing Yang ◽  
Xianhui Wang ◽  
Qian Lu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Detection Threshold ◽  
Sound Quality ◽  
Hearing Impaired ◽  
Nonlinear Frequency ◽  
Frequency Compression ◽  
Speech Reception ◽  
Quality Ratings ◽  
Phoneme Detection

Abstract Background Mandarin Chinese has a rich repertoire of high-frequency speech sounds. This may pose a remarkable challenge to hearing-impaired listeners who speak Mandarin Chinese because of their high-frequency sloping hearing loss. An adaptive nonlinear frequency compression (adaptive NLFC) algorithm has been implemented in contemporary hearing aids to alleviate the problem. Purpose The present study examined the performance of speech perception and sound-quality rating in Mandarin-speaking hearing-impaired listeners using hearing aids fitted with adaptive NLFC (i.e., SoundRecover2 or SR2) at different parameter settings. Research Design Hearing-impaired listeners' phoneme detection thresholds, speech reception thresholds, and sound-quality ratings were collected with various SR2 settings. Study Sample The participants included 15 Mandarin-speaking adults aged 32 to 84 years old who had symmetric sloping severe-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss. Intervention The participants were fitted bilaterally with Phonak Naida V90-SP hearing aids. Data Collection and Analysis The outcome measures included phoneme detection threshold using the Mandarin Phonak Phoneme Perception test, speech reception threshold using the Mandarin hearing in noise test (M-HINT), and sound-quality ratings on human speech in quiet and noise, bird chirps, and music in quiet. For each test, five experimental settings were applied and compared: SR2-off, SR2-weak, SR2-default, SR2-strong 1, and SR2-strong 2. Results The results showed that listeners performed significantly better with SR2-strong 1 and SR2-strong 2 settings than with SR2-off or SR2-weak settings for speech reception threshold and phoneme detection threshold. However, no significant improvement was observed in sound-quality ratings among different settings. Conclusions These preliminary findings suggested that the adaptive NLFC algorithm provides perceptual benefit to Mandarin-speaking people with severe-to-profound hearing loss.

scholarly journals The Influence of Audibility on Speech Recognition With Nonlinear Frequency Compression for Children and Adults With Hearing Loss

2014 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 440-447 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan W. McCreery ◽  
Joshua Alexander ◽  
Marc A. Brennan ◽  
Brenda Hoover ◽  
Judy Kopun ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Speech Recognition ◽  
Nonlinear Frequency ◽  
Frequency Compression

Amount of Frequency Compression in Bimodal Cochlear Implant Users Is a Poor Predictor for Audibility and Spatial Hearing

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Snandan Sharma ◽  
Waldo Nogueira ◽  
A. John van Opstal ◽  
Josef Chalupper ◽  
Lucas H. M. Mens ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Speech Recognition ◽  
Cochlear Implant ◽  
Sound Localization ◽  
High Frequency ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
Spatial Hearing ◽  
Meaningful Improvement ◽  
Frequency Compression ◽  
Knee Point ◽  
Localization Performance

Purpose Speech understanding in noise and horizontal sound localization is poor in most cochlear implant (CI) users with a hearing aid (bimodal stimulation). This study investigated the effect of static and less-extreme adaptive frequency compression in hearing aids on spatial hearing. By means of frequency compression, we aimed to restore high-frequency audibility, and thus improve sound localization and spatial speech recognition. Method Sound-detection thresholds, sound localization, and spatial speech recognition were measured in eight bimodal CI users, with and without frequency compression. We tested two compression algorithms: a static algorithm, which compressed frequencies beyond the compression knee point (160 or 480 Hz), and an adaptive algorithm, which aimed to compress only consonants leaving vowels unaffected (adaptive knee-point frequencies from 736 to 2946 Hz). Results Compression yielded a strong audibility benefit (high-frequency thresholds improved by 40 and 24 dB for static and adaptive compression, respectively), no meaningful improvement in localization performance (errors remained > 30 deg), and spatial speech recognition across all participants. Localization biases without compression (toward the hearing-aid and implant side for low- and high-frequency sounds, respectively) disappeared or reversed with compression. The audibility benefits provided to each bimodal user partially explained any individual improvements in localization performance; shifts in bias; and, for six out of eight participants, benefits in spatial speech recognition. Conclusions We speculate that limiting factors such as a persistent hearing asymmetry and mismatch in spectral overlap prevent compression in bimodal users from improving sound localization. Therefore, the benefit in spatial release from masking by compression is likely due to a shift of attention to the ear with the better signal-to-noise ratio facilitated by compression, rather than an improved spatial selectivity. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.16869485

scholarly journals Effects of Adaptive Non-linear Frequency Compression in Hearing Aids on Mandarin Speech and Sound-Quality Perception

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shuang Qi ◽  
Xueqing Chen ◽  
Jing Yang ◽  
Xianhui Wang ◽  
Xin Tian ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Sensorineural Hearing Loss ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Sound Quality ◽  
Compression Algorithm ◽  
Frequency Compression ◽  
Quality Perception ◽  
Linear Frequency ◽  
Sentence Recognition ◽  
Non Linear

ObjectiveThis study was aimed at examining the effects of an adaptive non-linear frequency compression algorithm implemented in hearing aids (i.e., SoundRecover2, or SR2) at different parameter settings and auditory acclimatization on speech and sound-quality perception in native Mandarin-speaking adult listeners with sensorineural hearing loss.DesignData consisted of participants’ unaided and aided hearing thresholds, Mandarin consonant and vowel recognition in quiet, and sentence recognition in noise, as well as sound-quality ratings through five sessions in a 12-week period with three SR2 settings (i.e., SR2 off, SR2 default, and SR2 strong).Study SampleTwenty-nine native Mandarin-speaking adults aged 37–76 years old with symmetric sloping moderate-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss were recruited. They were all fitted bilaterally with Phonak Naida V90-SP BTE hearing aids with hard ear-molds.ResultsThe participants demonstrated a significant improvement of aided hearing in detecting high frequency sounds at 8 kHz. For consonant recognition and overall sound-quality rating, the participants performed significantly better with the SR2 default setting than the other two settings. No significant differences were found in vowel and sentence recognition among the three SR2 settings. Test session was a significant factor that contributed to the participants’ performance in all speech and sound-quality perception tests. Specifically, the participants benefited from a longer duration of hearing aid use.ConclusionFindings from this study suggested possible perceptual benefit from the adaptive non-linear frequency compression algorithm for native Mandarin-speaking adults with moderate-to-profound hearing loss. Periods of acclimatization should be taken for better performance in novel technologies in hearing aids.

A Comparison of Personal Sound Amplification Products and Hearing Aids in Ecologically Relevant Test Environments

2018 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 581-593 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Brody ◽  
Yu-Hsiang Wu ◽  
Elizabeth Stangl
Keyword(s):  
Speech Recognition ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Speech Intelligibility ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
Recognition Performance ◽  
Sound Quality ◽  
Listening Effort ◽  
Speech Intelligibility Index ◽  
Sound Amplification

Purpose The aim of this study was to compare the benefit of self-adjusted personal sound amplification products (PSAPs) to audiologist-fitted hearing aids based on speech recognition, listening effort, and sound quality in ecologically relevant test conditions to estimate real-world effectiveness. Method Twenty-five older adults with bilateral mild-to-moderate hearing loss completed the single-blinded, crossover study. Participants underwent aided testing using 3 PSAPs and a traditional hearing aid, as well as unaided testing. PSAPs were adjusted based on participant preference, whereas the hearing aid was configured using best-practice verification protocols. Audibility provided by the devices was quantified using the Speech Intelligibility Index (American National Standards Institute, 2012). Outcome measures assessing speech recognition, listening effort, and sound quality were administered in ecologically relevant laboratory conditions designed to represent real-world speech listening situations. Results All devices significantly improved Speech Intelligibility Index compared to unaided listening, with the hearing aid providing more audibility than all PSAPs. Results further revealed that, in general, the hearing aid improved speech recognition performance and reduced listening effort significantly more than all PSAPs. Few differences in sound quality were observed between devices. All PSAPs improved speech recognition and listening effort compared to unaided testing. Conclusions Hearing aids fitted using best-practice verification protocols were capable of providing more aided audibility, better speech recognition performance, and lower listening effort compared to the PSAPs tested in the current study. Differences in sound quality between the devices were minimal. However, because all PSAPs tested in the study significantly improved participants' speech recognition performance and reduced listening effort compared to unaided listening, PSAPs could serve as a budget-friendly option for those who cannot afford traditional amplification.

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