Vowel masking effects on the identification of an adjacent consonant

描述（由申请人提供）：本研究的长期目标是：1)确定元音上下文如何影响正常听力（NH）和听力受损（HI）听众对相邻辅音的感知；2)确定听力受损人群对相邻辅音元音掩蔽的预测因素；3)描述助听器算法设计的含义。本应用采用的框架是，成功的语音信号处理取决于听觉系统恢复信号中存在的时间和频率特性的能力，尽管信号成分之间存在同化。本研究的具体目的是描述元音掩蔽的三个方面(1)频谱特征、2)时间特征和3)音节呈现水平是否以及如何影响NH和HI听者相邻辅音的可听性。简洁的设计描述：首先，记录两个人的一系列CV、VC、VCV的无意义语音音节。其次，使用录制的音节进行辅音识别将在三个呈现水平（55db， 70db和90db SPL）下进行测试。根据识别结果，为每个被试选择一组音节进行掩蔽模式测量。第三，获得所选音节随时间位置和呈现水平的掩蔽模式。对应分析将用于搜索辅音识别性能与元音上下文、表示水平和辅音音节位置之间的关系。将计算一系列指标，以比较不同条件下掩蔽模式之间以及NH和HI侦听器之间的相似性和差异性。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The long-term objectives of the study are to 1) determine how vowel context affects the perception of an adjacent consonant for normal-hearing (NH) and hearing-impaired (HI) listeners, 2) determine the predicting factors of vowel masking on an adjacent consonant for people with hearing impairment, and 3) delineate implications for the design of hearing aid algorithms. This application adopts the framework that successful speech signal processing depends on the auditory system's ability to recover the temporal and frequency properties present in the signal, despite the assimilation between signal components. The specific aims of the study are to describe whether and how the three aspects of vowel masking 1) spectral characteristics, 2) temporal characteristics, and 3) syllable presentation level, affect the audibility of an adjacent consonant in NH and HI listeners. Concise description of design: First, a series of CV, VC, and VCV nonsense speech syllables spoken by two speakers will be recorded. Second, consonant identification using the recorded syllables will be tested at three presentation levels (55 dB, 70 dB, and 90 dB SPL). A set of syllables will be selected for each subject for masking pattern measurement based on the identification results. Third, masking patterns of the selected syllables as a function of temporal position and presentation level will be acquired. Correspondence analysis will be used to search for the relationship between the consonant identification performance and vowel context, presentation level, and syllabic position of the consonant. A series of metrics will be calculated to compare the similarity and difference between masking patterns under different conditions and between NH and HI listeners. Relevance to public health: The proposed research increases our understanding of the effects of hearing loss on consonant perception and how it varies with vowel context. The knowledge may contribute to the design of hearing aid algorithms, such as adjusting the gain of a weak sound according to the spectral components of its neighboring sound.