Predicting supra-threshold speech processing deficits in hearing-impaired listeners using a physiologically inspired auditory model

Johannes Zaar*, Laurel H. Carney

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingArticle in proceedingsResearchpeer-review

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Abstract

This study presents a new evaluation of a recently introduced speech-intelligibility prediction model, focusing on supra-threshold speech-processing deficits in hearing-impaired listeners. The model [Zaar and Carney, (2022), Hear Res., 426:108553] is based on a physiologically inspired auditory model that simulates the auditory periphery and on the recently proposed notion of across-frequency fluctuation profiles and their relevance for (speech) sound discrimination. The model has been shown to predict speech intelligibility in hearing-impaired listeners for several noise types, based solely on the stimuli and the audiogram. However, no individualized amplification was provided and the contributions of reduced audibility and supra-threshold deficits could thus not be completely disentangled. To investigate the model's predictive power with respect to purely supra-threshold aspects of speech reception, the present study evaluated the model using an additional speech-intelligibility data set collected with 9 hearing-impaired listeners using individualized amplification. In addition to the audiogram, supra-threshold measures of auditory function related to loudness perception were used to individualize the model predictions. The results indicate that while loudness-based estimates of outer-hair-cell loss did affect the model predictions, the predictive power did not improve. This result indicates that other measures of supra-threshold auditory deficits should be considered in future speech-intelligibility prediction efforts.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationProceedings of Forum Acusticum 2023
PublisherEuropean Acoustics Association, EAA
Publication date2023
Pages869-872
ISBN (Electronic)9788888942674
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2023
Event10th Convention of the European Acoustics Association - Politecnico di Torino, Torino, Italy
Duration: 11 Sept 202315 Sept 2023
https://www.fa2023.org/

Conference

Conference10th Convention of the European Acoustics Association
LocationPolitecnico di Torino
Country/TerritoryItaly
CityTorino
Period11/09/202315/09/2023
Internet address
SeriesProceedings of Forum Acusticum
ISSN2221-3767

Keywords

  • Hearing loss
  • Noise
  • Speech intelligibility

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