Audibility as a Predictor of Speech Recognition and Listening Effort

描述（由申请人提供）：拟议研究的目标是基于语音清晰度指数（SII）改进对儿童语音识别和听力努力的预测。SII是一个单一的数字，用于量化不同听力条件下言语刺激的平均可听性，通常用于优化儿童助听器设置。SII计算基于频率重要性权重（FIW），它对特定频率范围对语音识别的贡献给出一个数值。尽管先前的研究表明，儿童需要比成人更多的高频信息来达到最佳的语音理解，但目前基于正常听力成人数据的FIW用于估计儿童的语音识别。研究表明，基于成人的预测高估了儿童的表现，这可能导致临床医生选择的助听器特征不能为言语和语言发展提供最佳基础。在以前的研究中，没有专门测量儿童的听力，儿童的可听性和倾听努力之间的关系仍然不确定。在该研究的第一个目标中，将对正常听力的成人和儿童进行FIW测量，以改进基于SII的儿童语音识别预测。在目标2中，儿童衍生的FIW将用于预测一组新的正常听力儿童的语音识别和听力努力。假设FIW对成人和儿童会有所不同，儿童衍生的FIW将比目前的SII更准确地预测语音识别和听力努力。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The goal of the proposed research is to improve predictions of speech recognition and listening effort for children based on the Speech Intelligibility Index (SII). The SII is a single number used to quantify the average audibility of speech stimuli under different listening conditions and is often used to optimize hearing aid settings for children. SII calculations are based on frequency-importance weights (FIW), which place a numerical value on the contribution of a specific frequency range to speech recognition. Despite previous studies demonstrating that children require more high-frequency information than adults to achieve optimal speech understanding, FIW based on data from normal- hearing adults are currently used to estimate speech recognition of children. Studies have suggested that adult-based predictions overestimate performance for children, which could lead clinicians to select hearing-aid characteristics that do not provide an optimal basis for speech and language development. FIW have not been specifically measured with children in previous studies, and the relationship between audibility and listening effort in children remains undetermined. In Aim 1 of the proposed research, FIW will be measured for normal-hearing adults and children in an effort to improve SII- based predictions of speech recognition for children. In Aim 2, the child-derived FIW will be used to predict speech recognition and listening effort in a new group of normal-hearing children. It is hypothesized that FIW will differ for adults and children and that child-derived FIW will result in more accurate predictions of speech recognition and listening effort than the current SII. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The results of the current proposal will enhance selection of hearing-aid signal processing for children with hearing loss to focus on maximizing speech understanding and minimizing listening effort. Our understanding of how adults and children differ in their ability to use spectral cues for speech perception will also benefit from the results of the current proposal. Further improvements in amplification strategies for children with hearing loss could result in better outcomes in speech and language development.