SPEECH UNDERSTANDING IN REALISTIC ENVIRONMENTS

许多老年人难以理解复杂和复杂的语言。 典型的日常聆听环境。 使用典型 实验室结果测量，老年人语言理解困难 听力受损的受试者主要是由于 由于阈值升高而导致的言语可听度。 鉴于必须 助听器提供的语言可听度，放大应恢复 重要语音信息并提供显著的益处， 通信 然而，只有一小部分老年人可以 助听器的选配和使用 定期。 助听器使用的成功率和满意度 这表明需要从根本上改变方向。 当前 对沟通需求的理解是基于从以下方面得出的结论： 在非常不现实的条件下获得的性能。 设计和 老年人的沟通辅助设备的安装应遵循他们的 在复杂且要求严格的环境中的听力表现，其中包括 在日常情况中固有的声学和感知可变性。 因此，在项目2中，计划进行一系列实验，以解决关键问题。 关于老年人使用语音信息的问题， 在现实环境中交付和感知。 目标2.1测试 高频耳间差的可听度假说 提示是从语音的空间分离中受益的能力的基础 噪音源。 目标2.2检验回收率 从先前的刺激，特别是在较高的频率， 从类似语音的噪声中的包络波动中受益的能力。 目的 2.3测试假设，年龄相关的变化，在听觉选择性 注意力增加刺激不确定性的不利影响。 一 长期目标是扩展我们对机制的一般理解， 解释老年人在噪音中的言语理解能力下降， 从而提高放大带来的效益。

Many older adults have difficulty understanding speech in complex and demanding environments typical of everyday listening. Using typical laboratory outcome measures, speech-understanding difficulties of older hearing-impaired subjects are accounted for primarily by reductions in speech audibility due to elevated thresholds. Given the importance of speech audibility, amplification provided by a hearing aid should restore important speech information and provide significant benefit to communication. Nevertheless, only a fraction of older adults who could derive benefit from amplification own hearing aids and use them regularly. The lack of success and satisfaction with hearing aids suggests that a fundamental change in direction is needed. The current understanding of communication needs is based on conclusions drawn from performance obtained in highly unrealistic conditions. The design and fitting of communication aids for older adults should be guided by their listening performance in complex and demanding environments that contain the acoustic and perceptual variability inherent in everyday situations. Thus, in Project 2, a series of experiments is planned to address key questions concerning the use of speech information by older adults as delivered and perceived in realistic environments. Aim 2.1 tests the hypothesis that the audibility of high-frequency interaural difference cues underlies the ability to benefit from spatial separation of speech and noise sources. Aim 2.2 tests the hypothesis that rate of recovery from prior stimulation, especially at higher frequencies, underlies the ability to benefit from envelope fluctuations in speech-like noise. Aim 2.3 tests the hypothesis that age-related changes in auditory selective attention increase the detrimental effects of stimulus uncertainty. A long-term goal is to extend our general understanding of mechanisms that account for reduced speech understanding in noise by older adults and thus enhance benefit derived from amplification.