Perceptual processing of indirect sound

描述(申请人提供)：我们在大多数日常声学环境中听到产生间接声音(例如回声、反射、混响)的听觉事件的过程是复杂的，并且没有被很好地理解。在某些情况下，间接声音可以促进言语交流和声音本地化的某些方面，但在其他情况下，间接声音可能会在这些能力和其他能力方面产生缺陷，这对听力障碍的人来说可能特别严重。最近的结果表明，间接声音处理的某些方面似乎受到先前暴露在声学环境中的影响，这表明了一种知觉适应的形式。虽然这些适应效果对于只有一个回声的情况可能是实质性的，但在具有由多个回声和混响产生的复杂间接声音模式的更真实的声学环境中，尚未对这些影响进行评估。该项目的长期目标是全面了解在具有复杂间接声模式的日常声学环境中帮助听觉定位和交流的机制和潜在的自适应过程，以及听力损失对这些过程的潜在影响。这一目标将通过以下具体目标来实现：具体目标1：演示和量化环境适应对单一现实声学环境配置的声音定位和语音清晰度的影响。具体目标2：确定环境适应效应对特定环境和来源/听者配置的敏感性。具体目标3：量化环境适应影响的时间进程。具体目标4：量化来源或听者运动对环境适应效果的影响。为了达到这些目的，这项研究使用了最先进的虚拟声学环境模拟技术来进行听觉刺激控制，从而能够测试在真实环境中不可能发生的听力情况。从这些研究中获得的知识将有助于更好地了解一个重大的公共卫生问题：由于听力丧失而导致的在声反射或混响环境中的交流和定位的损害。这种知识可能会促进辅助技术(助听器和人工耳蜗中的信号处理算法)和听力环境的声学设计的改进。关键词：声音定位、空间听觉、语言清晰度、房间声学、适应、虚拟听觉空间。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The processes by which we hear auditory events in most everyday acoustic environments that produce ndirect sound (e.g. echoes, reflections, reverberation) are complex and not well understood. Under certain circumstances, indirect sound can facilitate speech communication and certain aspects of sound localization, n other circumstances, however, indirect sound can produce deficits in these and other abilities that can be particularly large for individuals with hearing impairment. Recent results have demonstrated that some aspects of indirect sound processing appear to be affected by previous exposure to the acoustic environment, which suggests a form of perceptual adaptation. Although these adaptation effects can be substantial for situations with a single echo, the effects have not been evaluated in more realistic acoustic environments with complex patterns of indirect sound resulting from multiple echoes and reverberation. The ong-term goal of this project is a complete understanding of the mechanisms and the potentially adaptive processes that subserve auditory localization and communication in everyday acoustic environments with complex patterns of indirect sound and the potential impact of hearing loss on these processes. This goal will be addressed by the following Specific Aims: Specific Aim 1: Demonstrate and quantify environment- adaptation effects on sound localization and speech intelligibility for a single realistic acoustical environment configuration. Specific Aim 2: Determine the sensitivity of environment-adaptation effects to particular environments and source/listener configurations. Specific Aim 3: Quantify the time course of environment- adaptation effects. Specific Aim 4: Quantify the effects of source or listener motion on environment- adaptation effects. The research proposed to address these aims uses state-of-the-art virtual acoustic environment simulation techniques for auditory stimulus control that enable testing of listening situations that would not be possible in real environments. Knowledge gained from these studies will lead to an improved understanding of a significant public health problem: the impairment of communication and localization in acoustically reflective or reverberant environments resulting from hearing loss. This knowledge may facilitate improvements in both assistive technologies (signal processing algorithms within hearing aids and cochlear implants) and the acoustical design of listening environments. KEYWORDS: Sound Localization, Spatial Hearing, Speech Intelligibility, Room Acoustics, Adaptation, Virtual Auditory Space.