Spectral Dynamics and Speech Understanding by Hearing Impaired People

描述（由申请人提供）： 语音是一个固有的动态信号和频谱动态是不可或缺的辅音和元音的感知。共振峰移动的速率、方向和程度为辅音和元音的同一性提供了线索。与听力损失相关的外周听觉灵敏度、精确时间处理和频率选择性的丧失将破坏共振峰运动的感知。因此，动态频谱线索的减少或消除可能会损害语音理解，特别是在不利的收听条件下，如背景噪声或混响。该研究计划的目的是了解听力受损的听众对语音动态频谱特性的感知，其长期目标是改善这些人在不利听力条件下的语音理解。拟议的研究比较正常听力和听力受损的听众的表现在不同类型的信号失真的存在下，语音理解的措施，并增强频谱动态信号的语音理解。基于语音中可用的潜在信息量的计算模型将用于量化由于听力状态和刺激特征而导致的语音可懂度差异。实验程序将包括测试识别的准确性和语音清晰度。信号将在安静和存在各种类型的背景噪声的情况下呈现。此外，正常听力的听众将被呈现已经被处理以模拟听力障碍的一些影响的信号。听众还将完成实验条件与信号已处理，以增强光谱动态。通过这项研究计划获得的信息将可能对开发新的助听器处理策略和康复听觉训练计划产生影响，这些计划可能会提高语音清晰度并减少听力受损退伍军人的听力努力。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Speech is an inherently dynamic signal and spectral dynamics are integral to perception of both consonants and vowels. The rate, direction, and extent of formant movements provide cues to consonant and vowel identity. The loss of peripheral auditory sensitivity, precise temporal processing, and frequency selectivity associated with hearing loss will disrupt the perception of formant movements. As a result, the reduction or elimination of dynamic spectral cues may impair speech understanding, especially in adverse listening conditions such as background noise or reverberation. The purpose of this program of research is to understand the perception of the dynamic spectral properties of speech by hearing-impaired listeners, with the long-term goal of improving speech understanding by these individuals in adverse listening conditions. The proposed research compares the performance of normally-hearing and hearing-impaired listeners on measures of speech understanding in the presence of different types of signal distortion, and speech understanding of signals with enhanced spectral dynamics. A computational model based on the amount of potential information available in speech will be used to quantify differences in speech intelligibility due to hearing status and stimulus characteristics. Experimental procedures will consist of tests identification accuracy and intelligibility for speech. Signals will be presented in quiet and in the presence of various type of background noise. In addition, normally-hearing listeners will be presented with signals that have been processed to simulate some of the effects of hearing impairment. Listeners will also complete experimental conditions with signals that have been processed to enhance spectral dynamics. The information obtained by this program of research will have possible implications for the development of new hearing aid processing strategies and rehabilitative auditory training programs that may enhance speech intelligibility and reduce listening effort in hearing-impaired Veterans.