THE LOUDNESS OF BROADBAND SOUNDS IN LISTENERS WITH SENSORINEURAL HEARING LOSS

描述（由申请人提供）：该研究计划的目标是建立一个更好的框架，以便在助听器设计和最终助听器验配中使用响度数据。几种助听器验配算法试图恢复正常响度或降低响度峰值，但对于使研究人员、工程师或临床医生能够验证这些目标实现程度的适当程序尚未达成共识。此外，由于缺乏控制正常听力（NH）听众的宽带声音响度规则的数据，因此无法提供充分的规范来说明恢复感音神经性听力损失（SNHL）听众的正常响度需要什么。我们将探索使用感知权重来确定各个频段对宽带声音总响度的贡献。这种方法将使我们能够测试当前响度模型的基本假设。拟议的研究分为三个具体目标。第一个将检验以下假设：不同测量程序获得的结果之间的关系与听力损失的程度无关。该目标的目的是就响度测量方法达成共识。第二个目标将使用感知权重来检验特定频率对宽带声音总响度的贡献受到听力损失影响的假设。目标是探索声级和听力损失对宽带声音（包括长期语音频谱的噪声）特定响度的影响。最终目标将应用在前两个目标的工作过程中开发的方法和见解来测量新助听器用户在没有助听器提供的放大量和有助听器放大量的情况下所体验到的响度。这些研究旨在评估助听器验配策略响度目标的实现程度，并探讨助听器的适应对响度感知的影响。当前的 ANSI 标准响度模型及其变化指导了实验设计。拟议的研究预计将改进现有模型，更好地预测听力损失患者的响度感知，从而有可能制定更好的干预策略。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The goal of this research program is to establish a better framework for the use of loudness data in hearing-aid design and ultimately hearing-aid fitting. Several hearing-aid fitting algorithms attempt to restore normal loudness or reduce peaks in loudness, but there is no consensus on appropriate procedures that would enable researchers, engineers or clinicians to verify the extent to which these goals were met. Furthermore, the lack of data on which to base the rules governing the loudness of broadband sounds in listeners with normal hearing (NH) makes it impossible to provide an adequate specification of what restoration of normal loudness in listeners with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) would entail. We will explore the use of perceptual weights to establish the contribution of individual frequency bands to the total loudness of broadband sounds. This methodology will allow us to test the basic assumptions underlying current loudness models. The proposed studies are grouped under three specific aims. The first will test the hypothesis that the relation among results obtained with different measurement procedures are independent of the degree of hearing loss. The goal of this aim is to achieve consensus on methods to measure loudness. The second aim will use perceptual weights to test the hypothesis that the contribution of specific frequencies to the total loudness of broadband sounds is influenced by hearing loss. The goal is to explore the effects of level and hearing loss on the specific loudness of broadband sounds, including noise with the long-term spectrum of speech. The final aim will apply methods and insights developed in the course of work on the first two aims to measurements of loudness experienced by new hearing-aid users without and with the amounts of amplification provided by their hearing aids. The studies are designed to assess the extent to which the loudness goals of hearing-aid fitting strategies are met and to explore the effect of acclimatization to hearing aids on loudness perception. The current ANSI standard model of loudness and variations of it guided the design of experiments. The proposed studies are expected to lead to improvements of existing models that will better predict the loudness percepts of individuals with hearing loss, thus potentially leading to better intervention strategies.