THE LOUDNESS OF BROADBAND SOUNDS IN LISTENERS WITH SENSORINEURAL HEARING LOSS

描述（由申请人提供）：本研究项目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安装中使用响度数据。一些助听器拟合算法试图恢复正常的响度或降低响度峰值，但在适当的程序上没有达成共识，这将使研究人员、工程师或临床医生能够验证这些目标达到的程度。此外，由于缺乏控制正常听力（NH）听者宽带声音响度的规则的数据，因此不可能提供一个足够的说明，说明在感觉神经性听力损失（SNHL）听者中恢复正常响度需要什么。我们将探索使用感知权重来确定单个频带对宽带声音总响度的贡献。这种方法将允许我们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。第一部分将检验不同测量方法所得结果之间的关系与听力损失程度无关的假设。这个目的的目的是在测量响度的方法上达成共识。第二个目标将使用感知权重来测试特定频率对宽带声音总响度的贡献受听力损失影响的假设。目的是探索水平和听力损失对宽带声音的具体响度的影响，包括具有长期语音频谱的噪音。最终目标将应用在前两个目标的工作过程中发展起来的方法和见解来测量新助听器用户在没有助听器和使用助听器提供的扩音量时所体验到的响度。本研究旨在评估助听器配戴策略对响度目标的满足程度，并探讨助听器适应对响度感知的影响。现行的ANSI响度标准模型及其变化指导了实验的设计。拟议的研究有望导致现有模型的改进，从而更好地预测听力损失个体的响度感知，从而有可能导致更好的干预策略。

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.