Spectral Dynamics and Speech Understanding by Hearing Impaired People

描述(由申请人提供)： 语音是一种固有的动态信号，频谱动态对声母和元音的感知都是不可或缺的。共振峰移动的速度、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敏感度、精确的时间处理和频率选择性的丧失将扰乱对共振峰运动的感知。因此，动态光谱提示的减少或消除可能会损害语音理解，特别是在诸如背景噪声或混响等不利的听力条件下。这项研究的目的是了解听力受损的听者对语音动态频谱特性的感知，长期目标是在不利的听力条件下提高这些人的语音理解能力。这项拟议的研究比较了听力正常和听力受损的听者在存在不同类型的信号失真时在语音理解方面的表现，以及对具有增强的频谱动力学的信号的语音理解的表现。基于语音中可用的潜在信息量的计算模型将被用于量化由于听力状况和刺激特征而导致的语音清晰度的差异。实验程序将包括语音识别准确性和可理解性的测试。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，正常听力的听众将看到经过处理的信号，以模拟听力障碍的一些影响。听众还将用经过处理以增强光谱动力学的信号来完成实验条件。这项研究获得的信息可能会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听力受损退伍军人的语言清晰度，减少听力努力。 公共卫生相关性： 语音是一种固有的动态信号，频谱动态对声母和元音的感知都是不可或缺的。与听力损失相关的外周听觉敏感度、精确的时间处理和频率选择性的丧失将扰乱对频谱动力学的感知。本研究的目的是了解频谱动力学在语音理解中的作用，以期这种理解将导致更好的语音可理解性和沟通恢复。这些研究将评估听力损伤和竞争噪声对语音频谱变化感知的影响程度，以及有针对性地增强频谱动力学是否可以改善语音的清晰度。我们的中心假设是，言语理解与对光谱变化的知觉接触有关，恢复这一信息将提高听力障碍者的言语可理解性。

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. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Speech is an inherently dynamic signal and spectral dynamics are integral to perception of both consonants and vowels. The loss of peripheral auditory sensitivity, precise temporal processing, and frequency selectivity associated with hearing loss will disrupt the perception of spectral dynamics. The goal of this research is to understand the role of spectral dynamics in speech understanding with the expectation that this understanding will lead to better speech intelligibility and communication rehabilitation. The studies proposed will evaluate to what extent perception of spectral change in speech is affected by hearing-impairment and competing noise, and whether targeted enhancement of spectral dynamics can improve speech intelligibility. Our central hypothesis is that speech understanding is related to perceptual acces to spectral change and restoration of this information will improve speech intelligibility for hearing-impaired listeners.