Understanding the role of pitch cues in multi-speaker environments

现有的声音隔离和听觉技术的基础研究主要集中在利用空间线索引导听觉注意。因此，音高线索是一个潜在的丰富和未开发的领域，可以发现语音可理解性的重大改进。我的假设如下：音高线索对老年人和听力损失患者在多说话听力环境中的听力退化有重要影响，恢复对这些音高线索的访问将改善噪声中的言语表现。拟议的哲学博士研究是一个跨学科项目，旨在更好地理解多说话环境中听力损失患者如何理解说话者的神经机制改善这一状况的潜在干预措施。我建议进行以下广泛的调查：描述多说话人环境下，音高线索在听力讲话中的相对重要性。描述多说话人环境下言语理解的神经生理学相关特征。开发临床有用的语音噪声性能诊断测试。探索使用有针对性的音高线索来提高多说话人环境中的语音清晰度。该项目属于医疗保健技术的范畴。该项目的总体目标是确定音调线索在多说话环境中的重要性，以改善听力损失干预措施。这包括预测在嘈杂环境中使用助听器所获得的性能效益。因此，这项研究将支持听力设备的优化，因此属于EPSRC的职权范围。

Existing basic research in sound segregation and hearing technology focus on the use of spatial cues to guide auditory attention. Therefore, pitch cues are a potentially rich and unexplored field where significant improvements in speech intelligibility could be found.My hypotheses are as follows:Pitch cues contribute significantly to the degradation of hearing in a multi-talker listening environment performance experienced by patients during ageing and hearing lossRestoring access to these pitch cues will improve speech-in-noise performanceMy proposed DPhil research is an interdisciplinary project aiming to better understand the neural mechanisms underpinning how speakers in multi-speaker environments are understood by patients with hearing loss and explore potential interventions to improve this.I propose the following broad areas of investigation:1. Characterise the relative importance of pitch cues in hearing speech in multi-speaker environments2. Characterise the neurophysiological correlates of speech understanding in multi-speaker environments3. Develop clinically useful diagnostic tests of speech in noise performance4. Explore using targeted pitch cues to improve speech intelligibility in a multi-speaker environmentThe project falls within the remit of healthcare technologies. The overall aim of the project is to determine the importance of pitch cues in multi-speaker environments in order to improve hearing loss interventions. This includes predict performance benefit gained from hearing device use in noisy environments. As such, the research will underpin the optimisation of hearing devices and therefore falls within the EPSRC remit.