The Effect of Lexical Content on Dichotic Speech Recognition in Older Adults

2016 ◽  
Vol 27 (01) ◽  
pp. 013-028 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ursula M. Findlen ◽  
Christina M. Roup
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Speech Recognition ◽  
Older Adult ◽  
Auditory Processing ◽  
Speech Signal ◽  
Recognition Performance ◽  
Performance Characteristics ◽  
Top Down ◽  
Response Condition ◽  
Lexical Content

Background: Age-related auditory processing deficits have been shown to negatively affect speech recognition for older adult listeners. In contrast, older adults gain benefit from their ability to make use of semantic and lexical content of the speech signal (i.e., top-down processing), particularly in complex listening situations. Assessment of auditory processing abilities among aging adults should take into consideration semantic and lexical content of the speech signal. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of lexical and attentional factors on dichotic speech recognition performance characteristics for older adult listeners. Research Design: A repeated measures design was used to examine differences in dichotic word recognition as a function of lexical and attentional factors. Study Sample: Thirty-five older adults (61–85 yr) with sensorineural hearing loss participated in this study. Data Collection and Analysis: Dichotic speech recognition was evaluated using consonant–vowel–consonant (CVC) word and nonsense CVC syllable stimuli administered in the free recall, directed recall right, and directed recall left response conditions. Results: Dichotic speech recognition performance for nonsense CVC syllables was significantly poorer than performance for CVC words. Dichotic recognition performance varied across response condition for both stimulus types, which is consistent with previous studies on dichotic speech recognition. Inspection of individual results revealed that five listeners demonstrated an auditory-based left ear deficit for one or both stimulus types. Conclusions: Lexical content of stimulus materials affects performance characteristics for dichotic speech recognition tasks in the older adult population. The use of nonsense CVC syllable material may provide a way to assess dichotic speech recognition performance while potentially lessening the effects of lexical content on performance (i.e., measuring bottom-up auditory function both with and without top-down processing).

Dichotic Speech Recognition Using CVC Word and Nonsense CVC Syllable Stimuli

2011 ◽  
Vol 22 (01) ◽  
pp. 013-022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ursula M. Findlen ◽  
Christina M. Roup
Keyword(s):  
Speech Recognition ◽  
Young Adult ◽  
Free Recall ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Recognition Performance ◽  
Normal Hearing ◽  
Performance Characteristics ◽  
Response Condition ◽  
Stimulus Materials ◽  
Lexical Content

Background: The effects of stimulus material, lexical content, and response condition on dichotic speech recognition performance characteristics were examined for normal-hearing young adult listeners. No previous investigation has systematically examined the effects of stimulus material with constant phonetic content but varied lexical content across three response conditions typically used to evaluate binaural auditory processing abilities. Purpose: To examine how dichotic speech recognition performance varies for stimulus materials with constant phonetic content but varied lexical content across the free recall, directed recall right, and directed recall left response conditions. Research Design: Dichotic speech recognition was evaluated using consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) word and nonsense CVC syllable stimuli administered in the free recall, directed right, and directed left response conditions, a repeated measures experimental design. Study Sample: Thirty normal-hearing young adults (15 male, 15 female) served as participants. Participants ranged in age from 18 to 31 yr and were all right-handed. Data Collection and Analysis: Participants engaged in monaural speech recognition and dichotic speech recognition tasks. Percent correct recognition per ear, as well as ear advantage for dichotic speech recognition, were calculated and evaluated using a repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) statistical procedure. Results: Dichotic speech recognition performance for nonsense CVC syllables was significantly poorer than performance for CVC words, suggesting that lexical content impacts performance on dichotic speech recognition tasks. Performance also varied across response condition, which is consistent with previous studies of dichotic speech recognition. Conclusions: Lexical content of stimulus materials impacts performance characteristics for dichotic speech recognition tasks in the normal-hearing young adult population. The use of nonsense CVC syllable material may provide a way to assess dichotic speech recognition performance while potentially lessening the effects of lexical content on performance.

Robust Feature Vector Set Using Higher Order Autocorrelation Coefficients

2012 ◽  
pp. 126-134
Author(s):  
Poonam Bansal ◽  
Amita Dev ◽  
Shail Jain
Keyword(s):  
Speech Recognition ◽  
Speech Signal ◽  
Background Noise ◽  
Extraction Method ◽  
Recognition Performance ◽  
Spectral Estimation ◽  
Higher Order ◽  
Feature Extraction Method ◽  
Power Spectral ◽  
Cepstral Coefficients

In this paper, a feature extraction method that is robust to additive background noise is proposed for automatic speech recognition. Since the background noise corrupts the autocorrelation coefficients of the speech signal mostly at the lower orders, while the higher-order autocorrelation coefficients are least affected, this method discards the lower order autocorrelation coefficients and uses only the higher-order autocorrelation coefficients for spectral estimation. The magnitude spectrum of the windowed higher-order autocorrelation sequence is used here as an estimate of the power spectrum of the speech signal. This power spectral estimate is processed further by the Mel filter bank; a log operation and the discrete cosine transform to get the cepstral coefficients. These cepstral coefficients are referred to as the Differentiated Relative Higher Order Autocorrelation Coefficient Sequence Spectrum (DRHOASS). The authors evaluate the speech recognition performance of the DRHOASS features and show that they perform as well as the MFCC features for clean speech and their recognition performance is better than the MFCC features for noisy speech.

scholarly journals Influence of Age at Cochlear Implantation and Frequency-to-Place Mismatch on Early Speech Recognition in Adults

2020 ◽  
Vol 162 (6) ◽  
pp. 926-932
Author(s):  
Michael W. Canfarotta ◽  
Brendan P. O’Connell ◽  
Emily Buss ◽  
Harold C. Pillsbury ◽  
Kevin D. Brown ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Speech Recognition ◽  
Auditory Processing ◽  
Present Report ◽  
Spiral Ganglion ◽  
Auditory Pathway ◽  
Electrode Arrays ◽  
Insertion Depth ◽  
Tertiary Referral Center ◽  
Contact Frequency

Objective Default frequency filters of cochlear implant (CI) devices assign frequency information irrespective of intracochlear position, resulting in varying degrees of frequency-to-place mismatch. Substantial mismatch negatively influences speech recognition in postlingually deafened CI recipients, and acclimatization may be particularly challenging for older adults due to effects of aging on the auditory pathway. The present report investigated the influence of mismatch and age at implantation on speech recognition within the initial 6 months of CI use. Study Design Retrospective review. Setting Tertiary referral center. Subjects and Methods Forty-eight postlingually deafened adult CI recipients of lateral wall electrode arrays underwent postoperative computed tomography to determine angular insertion depth of each electrode contact. Frequency-to-place mismatch was determined by comparing spiral ganglion place frequencies to default frequency filters. Consonant-nucleus-consonant (CNC) scores in the CI-alone condition at 1, 3, and 6 months postactivation were compared to the degree of mismatch at 1500 Hz and age at implantation. Results Younger adult CI recipients experienced more rapid growth in speech recognition during the initial 6 months postactivation. Greater degrees of frequency-to-place mismatch were associated with poorer performance, yet older listeners were not particularly susceptible to this effect. Conclusions While older adults are not necessarily more sensitive to detrimental effects of frequency-to-place mismatch, other factors appear to limit early benefit with a CI in this population. These results suggest that minimizing mismatch could optimize outcomes in adult CI recipients across the life span, which may be particularly beneficial in the elderly considering auditory processing deficits associated with advanced age.

scholarly journals Research on Speech Recognition Method in Multi Layer Perceptual Network Environment

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
pp. 996-1004
Author(s):  
Kai Zhao ◽  
Dan Wang
Keyword(s):  
Speech Recognition ◽  
Speech Signal ◽  
Recognition Performance ◽  
Recognition Rate ◽  
Average Energy ◽  
Signal Recognition ◽  
Network Environment ◽  
Recognition Method ◽  
Zero Crossing ◽  
Zero Crossing Rate

Aiming at the problem of low recognition rate in speech recognition methods, a speech recognition method in multi-layer perceptual network environment is proposed. In the multi-layer perceptual network environment, the speech signal is processed in the filter by using the transfer function of the filter. According to the framing process, the speech signal is windowed and framing processed to remove the silence segment of the speech signal. At the same time, the average energy of the speech signal is calculated and the zero crossing rate is calculated to extract the characteristics of the speech signal. By analyzing the principle of speech signal recognition, the process of speech recognition is designed, and the speech recognition in multi-layer perceptual network environment is realized. The experimental results show that the speech recognition method designed in this paper has good speech recognition performance

scholarly journals Mishearing as a Side Effect of Rational Language Comprehension in Noise

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marjolein Van Os ◽  
Jutta Kray ◽  
Vera Demberg
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Language Processing ◽  
Language Comprehension ◽  
Speech Signal ◽  
Speech Comprehension ◽  
Noisy Signal ◽  
Simple Consequence ◽  
Top Down ◽  
Rational Language ◽  
Listening Experiment

Language comprehension in noise can sometimes lead to mishearing, due to the noise disrupting the speech signal. Some of the difficulties in dealing with the noisy signal can be alleviated by drawing on the context – indeed, top-down predictability has shown to facilitate speech comprehension in noise. Previous studies have furthermore shown that strong reliance on the top-down predictions can lead to increased rates of mishearing, especially in older adults, which are attributed to general deficits in cognitive control in older adults. We here propose that the observed mishearing may be a simple consequence of rational language processing in noise. It should not be related to failure on the side of the older comprehenders, but instead would be predicted by rational processing accounts. To test this hypothesis, we extend earlier studies by running an online listening experiment with younger and older adults, carefully controlling the target and direct competitor in our stimuli. We show that mishearing is directly related to the perceptibility of the signal. We furthermore add an analysis of wrong responses, which shows that results are at odds with the idea that participants overly strongly rely on context in this task, as most false answers are indeed close to the speech signal, and not to the semantics of the context.

Fitting and Verification of Frequency Modulation Systems on Children with Normal Hearing

2014 ◽  
Vol 25 (06) ◽  
pp. 529-540 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin C. Schafer ◽  
Danielle Bryant ◽  
Katie Sanders ◽  
Nicole Baldus ◽  
Katherine Algier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Speech Recognition ◽  
Frequency Modulation ◽  
Auditory Processing ◽  
Signal To Noise Ratio ◽  
Recognition Performance ◽  
Normal Hearing ◽  
Signal To Noise ◽  
The Real ◽  
Hearing Sensitivity ◽  
Speech Recognition In Noise

Background: Several recent investigations support the use of frequency modulation (FM) systems in children with normal hearing and auditory processing or listening disorders such as those diagnosed with auditory processing disorders, autism spectrum disorders, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, Friedreich ataxia, and dyslexia. The American Academy of Audiology (AAA) published suggested procedures, but these guidelines do not cite research evidence to support the validity of the recommended procedures for fitting and verifying nonoccluding open-ear FM systems on children with normal hearing. Documenting the validity of these fitting procedures is critical to maximize the potential FM-system benefit in the abovementioned populations of children with normal hearing and those with auditory-listening problems. Purpose: The primary goal of this investigation was to determine the validity of the AAA real-ear approach to fitting FM systems on children with normal hearing. The secondary goal of this study was to examine speech-recognition performance in noise and loudness ratings without and with FM systems in children with normal hearing sensitivity. Research Design: A two-group, cross-sectional design was used in the present study. Study Sample: Twenty-six typically functioning children, ages 5–12 yr, with normal hearing sensitivity participated in the study. Intervention: Participants used a nonoccluding open-ear FM receiver during laboratory-based testing. Data Collection and Analysis: Participants completed three laboratory tests: (1) real-ear measures, (2) speech recognition performance in noise, and (3) loudness ratings. Four real-ear measures were conducted to (1) verify that measured output met prescribed-gain targets across the 1000–4000 Hz frequency range for speech stimuli, (2) confirm that the FM-receiver volume did not exceed predicted uncomfortable loudness levels, and (3 and 4) measure changes to the real-ear unaided response when placing the FM receiver in the child’s ear. After completion of the fitting, speech recognition in noise at a –5 signal-to-noise ratio and loudness ratings at a +5 signal-to-noise ratio were measured in four conditions: (1) no FM system, (2) FM receiver on the right ear, (3) FM receiver on the left ear, and (4) bilateral FM system. Results: The results of this study suggested that the slightly modified AAA real-ear measurement procedures resulted in a valid fitting of one FM system on children with normal hearing. On average, prescriptive targets were met for 1000, 2000, 3000, and 4000 Hz within 3 dB, and maximum output of the FM system never exceeded and was significantly lower than predicted uncomfortable loudness levels for the children. There was a minimal change in the real-ear unaided response when the open-ear FM receiver was placed into the ear. Use of the FM system on one or both ears resulted in significantly better speech recognition in noise relative to a no-FM condition, and the unilateral and bilateral FM receivers resulted in a comfortably loud signal when listening in background noise. Conclusions: Real-ear measures are critical for obtaining an appropriate fit of an FM system on children with normal hearing.

Reverberation, Masking, Filtering, and Level Effects on Speech Recognition Performance

1988 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 681-695 ◽  
Author(s):  
Faith C. Loven ◽  
M. Jane Collins
Keyword(s):  
Speech Recognition ◽  
Speech Signal ◽  
Nonsense Syllable ◽  
Recognition Performance ◽  
Interactive Effects ◽  
Spectral Changes ◽  
Signal Parameters ◽  
Recognition Ability ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Everyday Communication

The purpose of this investigation was to describe the interactive effects of four signal modifications typically encountered in everyday communication settings. These modifications included reverberation, masking, filtering, and fluctuation in speech intensity. The relationship between recognition performance and spectral changes to the speech signal due to the presence of these signal alterations was also studied. The interactive effects of these modifications were evaluated by obtaining indices of nonsense syllable recognition ability from normally hearing listeners for systematically varied combinations of the four signal parameters. The results of this study were in agreement with previous studies concerned with the effect of these variables in isolation on speech recognition ability. When present in combination, the direction of each variable's effect on recognition performance is maintained; however, the magnitude of the effect increases. The results of this investigation are reasonably accounted for by a spectral theory of speech recognition.

Dichotic Word Recognition in Young and Older Adults

2006 ◽  
Vol 17 (04) ◽  
pp. 230-240 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina M. Roup ◽  
Terry L. Wiley ◽  
Richard H. Wilson
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Word Recognition ◽  
Auditory Processing ◽  
Recognition Performance ◽  
Directed Attention ◽  
Hearing Sensitivity ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Group A ◽  
Right Ear Advantage

Dichotic word recognition was evaluated in free-recall, directed-attention right, and directed-attention left response conditions. All participants were right-handed and included a group of young adults with normal hearing and two groups of older adults with sensorineural hearing loss. Dichotic word recognition performance was best for young adults and decreased for each older group. A right-ear advantage (REA) was observed for all groups. REAs observed in the older groups were larger than those for the young adults, resulting from a greater deficit in dichotic word recognition performance for words presented to the left ear. A subset of older adults exhibited few to no responses (≤3/100) for the left ear for all response conditions, which may relate to a compromise in auditory processing. The results support an age-related disadvantage in recognition performance for dichotic stimuli presented to the left ear not entirely accounted for by differences in hearing sensitivity between subject groups.

The Impact of Speech Recognition Testing on State Anxiety in Young, Middle-Age, and Older Adults

2020 ◽  
Vol 63 (8) ◽  
pp. 2789-2800
Author(s):  
Christina M. Roup ◽  
Donna E. Green ◽  
J. Riley DeBacker
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Speech Recognition ◽  
State Anxiety ◽  
Middle Age ◽  
Recognition Performance ◽  
State Trait Anxiety Inventory ◽  
Speech Perception In Noise ◽  
Speech In Noise ◽  
Noise Test ◽  
Recognition Testing

Purpose This study assessed state anxiety as a function of speech recognition testing using three clinical measures of speech in noise and one clinical measure of dichotic speech recognition. Method Thirty young adults, 30 middle-age adults, and 25 older adults participated. State anxiety was measured pre– and post–speech recognition testing using the State–Trait Anxiety Inventory. Speech recognition was measured with the Revised Speech Perception in Noise Test, the Quick Speech-in-Noise Test, the Words-in-Noise Test, and the Dichotic Digits Test (DDT). Results Speech recognition performance was as expected: Older adults performed significantly poorer on all measures as compared to the young adults and significantly poorer on the Revised Speech Perception in Noise Test, the Quick Speech-in-Noise Test, and the Words-in-Noise Test as compared to the middle-age adults. On average, State–Trait Anxiety Inventory scores increased posttesting, with the middle-age adults exhibiting significantly greater increases in state anxiety as compared to the young and older adults. Increases in state anxiety were significantly greater for the DDT relative to the speech-in-noise tests for the middle-age adults only. Poorer DDT recognition performance was associated with higher levels of state anxiety. Conclusions Increases in state anxiety were observed after speech-in-noise and dichotic listening testing for all groups, with significant increases seen for the young and middle-age adults. Although the exact mechanisms could not be determined, multiple factors likely influenced the observed increases in state anxiety, including task difficulty, individual proficiency, and age.

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