Advanced System for Measuring the Speech-evoked Frequency Following Response

用于测量语音诱发频率跟随响应的先进系统

• 批准号: RTI-2022-00502
• 负责人: Dajani, Hilmi
• 金额: $ 3.44万
• 依托单位: University of Ottawa
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Research Tools and Instruments
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2021-01-01 至 2022-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=741801
• 关键词: Advanced; System; Measuring; Speech; evoked

Hearing impairment is an important public health problem in Canada, and it is expected to increase in significance as the population ages. However, despite major advances in modern digital hearing aids, many users remain dissatisfied with their performance. This points to a pressing need to develop better evaluation tools and technologies for the hearing impaired. One difficulty is that current tests for hearing assessment typically use artificial sounds instead of speech. To address this shortcoming, our research program focuses on emerging technologies based on the Speech-evoked Frequency Following Response (sFFR), which is an electrical signal produced by the sub-cortical auditory system in response to speech recorded non-invasively using electrodes placed on the scalp. Previous work by our group and others has shown that this signal provides an important window into how the brain analyses speech. The requested equipment from Intelligent Hearing Systems (IHS) possesses advanced capabilities that will enable our multidisciplinary team from the University of Ottawa consisting of Dr. Hilmi Dajani (Electrical and Computer Engineering), Dr. Christian Giguère (Audiology), and Dr. Amineh Koravand (Neuro-Audiology) to meet the following research objectives: 1) The development of new approaches to reduce the noise in the sFFR, because the high level of noise has required excessive recording times, 2) The recording and analysis of responses to a comprehensive set of natural speech stimuli, and 3) The development of a new type of hearing aid whose settings can be optimized by monitoring brain activity. Software and hardware options included with the requested IHS equipment will also permit high flexibility for setting up experiments in different acoustic conditions. These capabilities will ensure highly productive use of the requested system over many years. Our research program is expected to have a significant impact in the field of Biomedical Engineering and on hearing assistive technologies. Novel techniques for the assessment of hearing function will be developed, including new signal processing algorithms and instrumentation for detecting sFFRs, improved models of human auditory processing of speech, and new technologies for objective hearing aid fitting. Moreover, Doctoral and Master's students will be trained in multidisciplinary and collaborative research, and so will develop skills of value to the Canadian biomedical and hearing devices industries, the hearing and speech research communities, and healthcare.

听力障碍是加拿大一个重要的公共卫生问题，随着人口老龄化，其重要性预计会增加。然而，尽管现代数字助听器取得了重大进展，但许多用户仍然对其性能不满意。这表明迫切需要为听障人士开发更好的评估工具和技术。一个困难是，目前的听力评估测试通常使用人工声音而不是语音。为了解决这一缺点，我们的研究项目将重点放在基于语音诱发频率跟随反应（sFFR）的新兴技术上，这是一种由皮层下听觉系统在使用放置在头皮上的电极对语音进行非侵入性记录时产生的电信号。我们小组和其他人之前的工作表明，这个信号为大脑如何分析语音提供了一个重要的窗口。智能听力系统（IHS）所要求的设备具有先进的功能，将使我们来自渥太华大学的多学科团队由Hilmi Dajani博士（电气和计算机工程），Christian gigu<e:1>博士（听力学）和Amineh Koravand博士（神经听力学）组成，以满足以下研究目标：1)开发新的方法来降低sFFR中的噪音，因为高水平的噪音需要过多的记录时间；2)记录和分析对一组全面的自然语音刺激的反应；3)开发一种新型助听器，其设置可以通过监测大脑活动来优化。所要求的IHS设备中包含的软件和硬件选项也将允许在不同声学条件下进行实验的高度灵活性。这些功能将确保多年来所请求系统的高效使用。我们的研究项目有望在生物医学工程和听力辅助技术领域产生重大影响。将开发用于听力功能评估的新技术，包括用于检测sffr的新信号处理算法和仪器，改进的人类语音听觉处理模型，以及客观助听器安装的新技术。此外，博士和硕士学生将接受多学科和合作研究方面的培训，从而培养对加拿大生物医学和听力设备行业、听力和言语研究社区以及医疗保健有价值的技能。