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）确定元音背景如何影响听力正常（NH）和听力受损（HI）听众对相邻辅音的感知，2）确定听力受损人群相邻辅音上元音掩蔽的预测因素，以及3）描绘助听器算法设计的含义。该应用程序采用的框架，成功的语音信号处理取决于听觉系统的能力，以恢复信号中存在的时间和频率特性，尽管信号分量之间的同化。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，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度。设计的简明描述：首先，一系列的CV，VC和VCV无意义语音音节由两个发言者发言将被记录。第二，使用记录的音节进行辅音识别将在三个呈现水平（55 dB，70 dB和90 dB SPL）进行测试。将根据识别结果为每个受试者选择一组音节进行掩蔽模式测量。第三，所选音节的掩蔽模式作为时间位置和呈现水平的函数将被获取。本研究以对应分析的方式探讨辅音辨识绩效与元音背景、呈现程度、辅音音节位置的关系。一系列的指标将被计算来比较在不同条件下的掩蔽模式之间的相似性和差异性之间的NH和HI听众。 与公共卫生的相关性：拟议的研究增加了我们对听力损失对辅音感知的影响以及它如何随元音上下文而变化的理解。这些知识可能有助于助听器算法的设计，例如根据其相邻声音的频谱分量来调整弱声音的增益。

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.