This application describes experiments on the (mis)perception of speech cues by individuals with sensorineural hearing loss. The general approach is to use speech and speech-like stimuli, as opposed to typical psychoacoustic stimuli. The experiments identify the types of speech segments and cues that are recognized incorrectly by hearing-impaired listeners. A measure of audibility based upon the short-term spectrum of speech sounds is used to separate the contribution of reduced audibility (i.e., errors due to speech cues presented below listener's thresholds) from the contribution of suprathreshold factors. Extensive studies of the levels of speech stimuli and audibility of individual speech sounds are also described. Additional experiments are proposed to identify the specific types of suprathreshold speech cures (described in physical terms, i.e., formant transitions, speech envelope cues, etc.) that present difficulties for the hearing-impaired individual. The objective is to search for common characteristics of these """"""""problem speech cues"""""""" in order to lay the ground work for a comprehensive approach to explaining suprathreshold speech errors. Follow-up experiments will investigate the effects of modifying these speech cures upon their ability to be used by hearing-impaired subjects. Strategies including compression, and recording of formant transitions will be tested. The effect of long-term training upon listeners' abilities to use these modified cues will also be studied. The overall objective is to identify the types of speech cues that will require more than amplification to maximize speech recognition by patients and to investigate the bases for these results. The use of speech and speech-like signals is a unique approach in studying hearing loss, in that the specific problems of hearing-impaired subjects to use various speech cues can be studied directly. This knowledge has application to both improved use of existing hearing aid technologies, and also to improving future hearing aids.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01DC000377-07
Application #
2125534
Study Section
Hearing Research Study Section (HAR)
Project Start
1989-05-01
Project End
1998-06-30
Budget Start
1995-07-01
Budget End
1996-06-30
Support Year
7
Fiscal Year
1995
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Syracuse University
Department
Other Health Professions
Type
Schools of Education
DUNS #
002257350
City
Syracuse
State
NY
Country
United States
Zip Code
13244
Jeon, Eun Kyung; Turner, Christopher W; Karsten, Sue A et al. (2015) Cochlear implant users' spectral ripple resolution. J Acoust Soc Am 138:2350-8
Reiss, L A J; Turner, C W; Karsten, S A et al. (2014) Plasticity in human pitch perception induced by tonotopically mismatched electro-acoustic stimulation. Neuroscience 256:43-52
Gfeller, Kate; Turner, Christopher; Oleson, Jacob et al. (2012) Accuracy of cochlear implant recipients in speech reception in the presence of background music. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 121:782-91
Reiss, Lina A J; Perreau, Ann E; Turner, Christopher W (2012) Effects of lower frequency-to-electrode allocations on speech and pitch perception with the hybrid short-electrode cochlear implant. Audiol Neurootol 17:357-72
Reiss, Lina A J; Turner, Christopher W; Karsten, Sue A et al. (2012) Consonant recognition as a function of the number of stimulation channels in the Hybrid short-electrode cochlear implant. J Acoust Soc Am 132:3406-17
Lin, Payton; Turner, Christopher W; Gantz, Bruce J et al. (2011) Ipsilateral masking between acoustic and electric stimulations. J Acoust Soc Am 130:858-65
Reiss, Lina A J; Lowder, Mary W; Karsten, Sue A et al. (2011) Effects of extreme tonotopic mismatches between bilateral cochlear implants on electric pitch perception: a case study. Ear Hear 32:536-40
Turner, Christopher W; Gantz, Bruce J; Karsten, Sue et al. (2010) Impact of hair cell preservation in cochlear implantation: combined electric and acoustic hearing. Otol Neurotol 31:1227-32
Woodson, Erika A; Reiss, Lina A J; Turner, Christopher W et al. (2010) The Hybrid cochlear implant: a review. Adv Otorhinolaryngol 67:125-34
Hong, Robert S; Turner, Christopher W (2009) Sequential stream segregation using temporal periodicity cues in cochlear implant recipients. J Acoust Soc Am 126:291-9

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