scholarly journals Masking Release and Modulation Interference in Cochlear Implant and Simulation Listeners

2013 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 135-146 ◽  
Author(s):  
Su-Hyun Jin ◽  
Yingjiu Nie ◽  
Peggy Nelson
Keyword(s):  
Speech Perception ◽  
Cochlear Implants ◽  
Training Programs ◽  
Signal To Noise Ratio ◽  
Spectral Interference ◽  
Signal To Noise ◽  
Sentence Recognition ◽  
Speech In Noise ◽  
Masking Release ◽  
Masking Noise

Purpose To examine the effects of temporal and spectral interference of masking noise on sentence recognition for listeners with cochlear implants (CI) and normal-hearing persons listening to vocoded signals that simulate signals processed through a CI (NH-Sim). Method NH-Sim and CI listeners participated in the experiments using speech and noise that were processed by bandpass filters. Depending on the experimental condition, the spectra of the maskers relative to that of speech were set to be completely embedded with, partially overlapping, or completely separate from, the speech. The maskers were either steady or amplitude modulated and were presented at +10 dB signal-to-noise ratio. Results NH-Sim listeners experienced progressively more masking as the masker became more spectrally overlapping with speech, whereas CI listeners experienced masking even when the masker was spectrally remote from the speech signal. Both the NH-Sim and CI listeners experienced significant modulation interference when noise was modulated at a syllabic rate (4 Hz), suggesting that listeners may experience both modulation interference and masking release. Thus, modulated noise has mixed and counteracting effects on speech perception. Conclusion When the NH-Sim and CI listeners with poor spectral resolution were tested using syllabic-like rates of modulated noise, they tended to integrate or confuse the noise with the speech, causing an increase in speech errors. Optional training programs might be useful for CI listeners who show more difficulty understanding speech in noise.

Effects of Fundamental Frequency Contours on Sentence Recognition in Mandarin-Speaking Children With Cochlear Implants

2020 ◽  
Vol 63 (11) ◽  
pp. 3855-3864
Author(s):  
Wanting Huang ◽  
Lena L. N. Wong ◽  
Fei Chen ◽  
Haihong Liu ◽  
Wei Liang
Keyword(s):  
Cochlear Implants ◽  
Fundamental Frequency ◽  
Signal To Noise Ratio ◽  
Lexical Tone ◽  
Signal To Noise ◽  
Sentence Recognition ◽  
Test Conditions ◽  
Age Appropriate ◽  
F0 Contour ◽  
Appropriate Sentences

Purpose Fundamental frequency (F0) is the primary acoustic cue for lexical tone perception in tonal languages but is processed in a limited way in cochlear implant (CI) systems. The aim of this study was to evaluate the importance of F0 contours in sentence recognition in Mandarin-speaking children with CIs and find out whether it is similar to/different from that in age-matched normal-hearing (NH) peers. Method Age-appropriate sentences, with F0 contours manipulated to be either natural or flattened, were randomly presented to preschool children with CIs and their age-matched peers with NH under three test conditions: in quiet, in white noise, and with competing sentences at 0 dB signal-to-noise ratio. Results The neutralization of F0 contours resulted in a significant reduction in sentence recognition. While this was seen only in noise conditions among NH children, it was observed throughout all test conditions among children with CIs. Moreover, the F0 contour-induced accuracy reduction ratios (i.e., the reduction in sentence recognition resulting from the neutralization of F0 contours compared to the normal F0 condition) were significantly greater in children with CIs than in NH children in all test conditions. Conclusions F0 contours play a major role in sentence recognition in both quiet and noise among pediatric implantees, and the contribution of the F0 contour is even more salient than that in age-matched NH children. These results also suggest that there may be differences between children with CIs and NH children in how F0 contours are processed.

scholarly journals Evaluation of speech perception in noise in Kurd-Persian bilinguals

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yones Lotfi ◽  
Jamileh Chupani ◽  
Mohanna Javanbakht ◽  
Enayatollah Bakhshi
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Speech Perception ◽  
Signal To Noise Ratio ◽  
Normal Hearing ◽  
Cognitive Factors ◽  
Signal To Noise ◽  
Speech Perception In Noise ◽  
Speech In Noise ◽  
Noise Test ◽  
Comparison Of The Results

Background and Aim: In most everyday sett­ings, speech is heard in the presence of com­peting sounds and speech perception in noise is affected by various factors, including cognitive factors. In this regard, bilingualism is a pheno­menon that changes cognitive and behavioral processes as well as the nervous system. This study aimed to evaluate speech perception in noise and compare differences in Kurd-Persian bilinguals versus Persian monolinguals. Methods: This descriptive-analytic study was performed on 92 students with normal hearing, 46 of whom were bilingual Kurd-Persian with a mean (SD) age of 22.73 (1.92) years, and 46 other Persian monolinguals with a mean (SD) age of 22.71 (2.28) years. They were examined by consonant-vowel in noise (CV in noise) test and quick speech in noise (Q-SIN) test. The obtained data were analyzed by SPSS 21. Results: The comparison of the results showed differences in both tests between bilingual and monolingual subjects. In both groups, the reduc­tion of signal-to-noise ratio led to lower scores, but decrease in CV in noise test in bilinguals was less than monolinguals (p < 0.001) and in the Q-SIN test, the drop in bilinguals’ score was  more than monolinguals (p = 0.002). Conclusion: Kurd-Persian bilinguals had a bet­ter performance in CV in noise test but had a worse performance in Q-SIN test than Persian monolinguals.

Effect of Competition, Signal-to-Noise Ratio, Race, and Sex on Southern American English Dialect Talkers’ Sentence Recognition

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Stuart ◽  
Yolanda F. Holt ◽  
Alyssa N. Kerls ◽  
Madeline R. Smith
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Speech Perception ◽  
Signal To Noise Ratio ◽  
American English ◽  
Broadband Noise ◽  
Signal To Noise ◽  
English Sentence ◽  
Sentence Recognition ◽  
Open Set ◽  
Noise Ratio

Background: Although numerous studies have examined regional and racial–ethnic labeling of talkeridentity, few have evaluated speech perception skills of listeners from the southern United States.Purpose: The objective of the study was to examine the effect of competition, signal-to-noise ratio(SNR), race, and sex on sentence recognition performance in talkers from the Southern American Englishdialect region.Research Design: A four-factor mixed-measures design was used.Study Sample: Forty-eight normal-hearing young African American and White adults participated.Data Collection and Analyses: The Perceptually Robust English Sentence Test Open-set was used inquiet and in continuous and interrupted noise and multitalker babble at SNRs of -10, -5, 0, and 5 dB.Results: Significant main effects of competition (p < 0.001) and SNR (p < 0.001) and a competition bySNR interaction were found (p < 0.001). Performance improved with increasing SNRs. Performance wasalso greater in the interrupted broadband noise at poorer SNRs, relative to the other competitors. Multitalkerbabble performance was significantly poorer than the continuous noise at the poorer SNRs. Therewas no effect of race or sex on performance in quiet or competition.Conclusions: Although African American English and White American English talkers living in the samegeographic region demonstrate differences in speech production, their speech perception in noise doesnot appear to differ under the conditions examined in this study.

Selecting the Optimal FM System for Children With Cochlear Implants

2008 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-24
Author(s):  
Erin C. Schafer
Keyword(s):  
Speech Recognition ◽  
Cochlear Implants ◽  
Empirical Research ◽  
Background Noise ◽  
Signal To Noise Ratio ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Signal To Noise ◽  
Speech Processor ◽  
System Input ◽  
Optimal Type

Children who use cochlear implants experience significant difficulty hearing speech in the presence of background noise, such as in the classroom. To address these difficulties, audiologists often recommend frequency-modulated (FM) systems for children with cochlear implants. The purpose of this article is to examine current empirical research in the area of FM systems and cochlear implants. Discussion topics will include selecting the optimal type of FM receiver, benefits of binaural FM-system input, importance of DAI receiver-gain settings, and effects of speech-processor programming on speech recognition. FM systems significantly improve the signal-to-noise ratio at the child's ear through the use of three types of FM receivers: mounted speakers, desktop speakers, or direct-audio input (DAI). This discussion will aid audiologists in making evidence-based recommendations for children using cochlear implants and FM systems.

scholarly journals Developmental Links Between Speech Perception in Noise, Singing, and Cortical Processing of Music in Children with Cochlear Implants

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 156-174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ritva Torppa ◽  
Andrew Faulkner ◽  
Teija Kujala ◽  
Minna Huotilainen ◽  
Jari Lipsanen
Keyword(s):  
Speech Perception ◽  
Cochlear Implants ◽  
Musical Instrument ◽  
Noise Performance ◽  
Speech Perception In Noise ◽  
Speech In Noise ◽  
Brain Responses ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Musical Sounds ◽  
Auditory Skills

The perception of speech in noise is challenging for children with cochlear implants (CIs). Singing and musical instrument playing have been associated with improved auditory skills in normal-hearing (NH) children. Therefore, we assessed how children with CIs who sing informally develop in the perception of speech in noise compared to those who do not. We also sought evidence of links of speech perception in noise with MMN and P3a brain responses to musical sounds and studied effects of age and changes over a 14–17 month time period in the speech-in-noise performance of children with CIs. Compared to the NH group, the entire CI group was less tolerant of noise in speech perception, but both groups improved similarly. The CI singing group showed better speech-in-noise perception than the CI non-singing group. The perception of speech in noise in children with CIs was associated with the amplitude of MMN to a change of sound from piano to cymbal, and in the CI singing group only, with earlier P3a for changes in timbre. While our results cannot address causality, they suggest that singing and musical instrument playing may have a potential to enhance the perception of speech in noise in children with CIs.

scholarly journals Comparing the quick speech-in-noise test results in migraineurs without aura and normal subjects

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabihe Amini ◽  
Fahimeh Hajiabolhassan ◽  
Jamileh Fatahi ◽  
Shohreh Jalaie ◽  
Mohammad Hosein Nilforoush
Keyword(s):  
Speech Perception ◽  
Signal To Noise Ratio ◽  
Normal Subjects ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Speech In Noise ◽  
Headache Severity ◽  
Normal Individuals ◽  
Duration Of Disease ◽  
Noise Test

Background and Aim: Migraine is a relatively common neurovascular disease. Audiology studies have shown some ways of influencing migraine by the auditory pathways from cochlea to the auditory cortex. Considering that one of the most important functions of the central auditory system is speech perception in challenging conditions, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the ability to understand speech in noise in migraineurs without aura, and compare it with normal subjects.Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 30 migraineurs without aura aged 17 to 41 years (mean=31.9, SD=6.89) and 30 normal individuals who were matched for age and sex with the migraine group were evaluated by quick speech-in-noise test (Q-SIN). The correlation between duration of the disease and the frequency of attacks per month and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) loss, as well as the role of headache severity on the scores were assessed.Results: In Q-SIN test, the mean SNR loss in migraineurs without aura was greater than that in controls (p<0.05). But this ability did not differ between males and females (p>0.05). There was no correlation between the duration of migraine, frequency of attacks per month and the severity of headache with SNR loss (p>0.05).Conclusion: Migraineurs without aura sometimes have difficulties in speech perception in noise which is not affected by duration of disease, its frequency and the severity of the attacks.

Importance of time-frequency units for sentence recognition as a function of signal-to-noise ratio

2018 ◽  
Vol 143 (3) ◽  
pp. 1751-1751 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frederic Apoux ◽  
Brittney Carter ◽  
Karl P. Velik ◽  
Eric Healy
Keyword(s):  
Signal To Noise Ratio ◽  
Signal To Noise ◽  
Time Frequency ◽  
Sentence Recognition ◽  
Noise Ratio

Development of a quick speech-in-noise test for measuring signal-to-noise ratio loss in normal-hearing and hearing-impaired listeners

2004 ◽  
Vol 116 (4) ◽  
pp. 2395-2405 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mead C. Killion ◽  
Patricia A. Niquette ◽  
Gail I. Gudmundsen ◽  
Lawrence J. Revit ◽  
Shilpi Banerjee
Keyword(s):  
Signal To Noise Ratio ◽  
Normal Hearing ◽  
Hearing Impaired ◽  
Signal To Noise ◽  
Speech In Noise ◽  
Noise Test ◽  
Noise Ratio ◽  
Measuring Signal

Implanting outside the Guidelines: A Case Study

2008 ◽  
Vol 19 (03) ◽  
pp. 197-203
Author(s):  
Millicent K. Seymour ◽  
Larry Lundy
Keyword(s):  
Cochlear Implantation ◽  
Signal To Noise Ratio ◽  
Percent Correct ◽  
Sentence Recognition ◽  
Speech In Noise ◽  
The Past ◽  
Open Set ◽  
Hearing Aid Use ◽  
Communication Difficulties

An 81-year-old female was referred for cochlear implantation due to difficulty communicating in her daily activities despite the use of appropriate amplification. The poorer ear was unable to tolerate amplification for the past 15 years. The open-set sentence-recognition test score in quiet in her "good" ear was 85 percent correct, indicating that the patient was not a traditional cochlear implant candidate. However, the sentence-recognition score in noise at +10 dB signal-to-noise ratio was 0 percent, demonstrating a significant breakdown in the patient's speech understanding in more difficult listening situations. This speech-in-noise score appeared to correlate with the patient's reported communication difficulties as well as with the communicative breakdowns that were observed clinically. The patient underwent cochlear implantation in the better ear. Cochlear implantation in this nontraditional patient provided objective and subjective benefit over hearing aid use. Una mujer de 81 años de edad fue referida para implante coclear debido a sus dificultades para comunicarse en sus actividades diarias, a pesar del uso de amplificación apropiada. El oído peor había sido incapaz de tolerar la amplificación durante los últimos 15 años. El puntaje de la prueba de reconocimiento de palabras de lista abierta en silencio en su oído "bueno" fue de un 85%, indicando que le paciente no era una candidata tradicional para un implante coclear. Sin embargo, los puntajes de reconocimiento de frases en ruido, a una tasa señal/ruido de ±10 dB fueron de 0%, demostrando un colapso en la comprensión del lenguaje por parte de la paciente en situaciones auditivas más difíciles. Este puntaje de lenguaje en ruido pareció correlacionar con las dificultades reportadas por la paciente, así como con el colapso comunicativo que se observó clínicamente. La paciente fue sometida a una implantación coclear en el mejor oído. El implante coclear en esta paciente no tradicional aportó un beneficio objetivo y subjetivo sobre el uso de auxiliares auditivos.

Frequency Importance Functions in Quiet and Noise for Adults With Cochlear Implants

2015 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 477-486 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas P. Sladen ◽  
Todd. A. Ricketts
Keyword(s):  
Cochlear Implants ◽  
Signal To Noise Ratio ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Normal Hearing ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Equal Weight ◽  
Signal To Noise ◽  
Speech Spectrum ◽  
Noisy Conditions ◽  
Listening In Noise

Purpose Several studies have been devoted to understanding the frequency information available to adult users of cochlear implants when listening in quiet. The objective of this study was to construct frequency importance functions for a group of adults with cochlear implants and a group of adults with normal hearing both in quiet and in a +10 dB signal-to-noise ratio. Method Two groups of adults, 1 with cochlear implants and 1 with normal hearing, were asked to identify nonsense syllables in quiet and in the presence of 6-talker babble while “holes” were systematically created in the speech spectrum. Frequency importance functions were constructed. Results Results showed that adults with normal hearing placed greater weight on bands 1, 3, and 4 than on bands 2, 5, and 6, whereas adults with cochlear implants placed equal weight on all bands. The frequency importance functions for each group did not differ between listening in quiet and listening in noise. Conclusions Adults with cochlear implants assign perceptual weight toward different frequency bands, though the weight assignment does not differ between quiet and noisy conditions. Generalizing these results to the broader population of adults with implants is constrained by a small sample size.

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