The long term objectives of this proposal are to develop improved methods for evaluating the performance of hearing aids and to improve our understanding of the effects of sensorineural hearing loss on speech reception. To achieve these goals, several areas of study are included in this proposal: 1) Objective models for Predicting Speech Recognition, 2) Speech Recognition in Noise and 3) The Remote Measurement of Eardrum SPL. In the first project area, our goal is to evaluate the extent to which articulation index theory or speech transmission index theory can be used to predict speech performance among hearing-impaired subjects. In the second area of study, the goal is to examine the effects of background noise in speech recognition and, in the final project area, the purpose is to develop a reliable method for measuring the eardrum SPL in an ear occluded with a hearing aid and/or the insertion gain of the hearing aid on an individual listener.
