scholarly journals Binaural Speech Intelligibility in a Real Elementary Classroom

2021 ◽  
Vol 2069 (1) ◽  
pp. 012165
Author(s):  
G Minelli ◽  
G E Puglisi ◽  
A Astolfi ◽  
C Hauth ◽  
A Warzybok
Keyword(s):  
Speech Intelligibility ◽  
Noise Source ◽  
Signal To Noise Ratio ◽  
Spatial Separation ◽  
Elementary Classrooms ◽  
Acoustic Environment ◽  
Acoustic Measures ◽  
Speech Reception ◽  
Speech Intelligibility Model ◽  
Speech Reception Thresholds

Abstract Since the fundamental phases of the learning process take place in elementary classrooms, it is necessary to guarantee a proper acoustic environment for the listening activity to children immersed in them. In this framework, speech intelligibility is especially important. In order to better understand and objectively quantify the effect of background noise and reverberation on speech intelligibility various models have been developed. Here, a binaural speech intelligibility model (BSIM) is investigated for speech intelligibility predictions in a real classroom considering the effect of talker-to-listener distance and binaural unmasking due to the spatial separation of noise and speech source. BSIM predictions are compared to the well-established room acoustic measures as reverberation time (T30), clarity or definition. Objective acoustical measurements were carried out in one Italian primary school classroom before (T30= 1.43s±0.03 s) and after (T30= 0.45±0.02 s) the acoustical treatment. Speech reception thresholds (SRTs) corresponding to signal-to-noise ratio yielding 80% of speech intelligibility will be obtained through the BSIM simulations using the measured binaural room impulse responses (BRIRs). A focus on the effect of different speech and noise source spatial positions on the SRT values will aim to show the importance of a model able to deal with the binaural aspects of the auditory system. In particular, it will be observed how the position of the noise source influences speech intelligibility when the target speech source lies always in the same position.

scholarly journals Energetic and Informational Components of Speech-on-Speech Masking in Binaural Speech Intelligibility and Perceived Listening Effort

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 ◽  
pp. 233121651985459 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Rennies ◽  
Virginia Best ◽  
Elin Roverud ◽  
Gerald Kidd
Keyword(s):  
Speech Intelligibility ◽  
Signal To Noise Ratio ◽  
Spatial Separation ◽  
Signal To Noise ◽  
Listening Effort ◽  
Complex Sound ◽  
Time Frequency ◽  
Sound Fields ◽  
Energetic Masking

Speech perception in complex sound fields can greatly benefit from different unmasking cues to segregate the target from interfering voices. This study investigated the role of three unmasking cues (spatial separation, gender differences, and masker time reversal) on speech intelligibility and perceived listening effort in normal-hearing listeners. Speech intelligibility and categorically scaled listening effort were measured for a female target talker masked by two competing talkers with no unmasking cues or one to three unmasking cues. In addition to natural stimuli, all measurements were also conducted with glimpsed speech—which was created by removing the time–frequency tiles of the speech mixture in which the maskers dominated the mixture—to estimate the relative amounts of informational and energetic masking as well as the effort associated with source segregation. The results showed that all unmasking cues as well as glimpsing improved intelligibility and reduced listening effort and that providing more than one cue was beneficial in overcoming informational masking. The reduction in listening effort due to glimpsing corresponded to increases in signal-to-noise ratio of 8 to 18 dB, indicating that a significant amount of listening effort was devoted to segregating the target from the maskers. Furthermore, the benefit in listening effort for all unmasking cues extended well into the range of positive signal-to-noise ratios at which speech intelligibility was at ceiling, suggesting that listening effort is a useful tool for evaluating speech-on-speech masking conditions at typical conversational levels.

Transcranial Contralateral Cochlear Stimulation in Unilateral Deafness

2003 ◽  
Vol 129 (3) ◽  
pp. 248-254 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jack J. Wazen ◽  
Jaclyn B. Spitzer ◽  
Soha N. Ghossaini ◽  
José N. Fayad ◽  
John K. Niparko ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Speech Intelligibility ◽  
Recognition Performance ◽  
Auditory Stimuli ◽  
Unilateral Deafness ◽  
Speech Reception ◽  
Speech Reception Thresholds ◽  
Single Sided Deafness

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of Bone Anchored Cochlear Stimulator (BAHA) in transcranial routing of signal by implanting the deaf ear. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTINGS: Eighteen patients with unilateral deafness were included in a multisite study. They had a 1-month pre-implantation trial with a contralateral routing of signal (CROS) hearing aid. Their performance with BAHA was compared with the CROS device using speech reception thresholds, speech recognition performance in noise, and the Abbreviated Profile Hearing Benefit and Single Sided Deafness questionnaires. RESULTS: Patients reported a significant improvement in speech intelligibility in noise and greater benefit from BAHA compared with CROS hearing aids. Patients were satisfied with the device and its impact on their quality of life. No major complications were reported. CONCLUSION AND SIGNIFICANCE: BAHA is effective in unilateral deafness. Auditory stimuli from the deaf side can be transmitted to the good ear, avoiding the limitations inherent in CROS amplification.

A Test to Measure Subjective and Objective Speech Intelligibility

2002 ◽  
Vol 13 (01) ◽  
pp. 038-049 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabrielle H. Saunders ◽  
Kathleen M. Cienkowski
Keyword(s):  
Speech Intelligibility ◽  
Signal To Noise Ratio ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
Clinical Tool ◽  
Signal To Noise ◽  
Speech Reception ◽  
Measurement Signal ◽  
Perceptual Performance ◽  
Noise Ratio ◽  
Performance Discrepancy

Measurement of hearing aid outcome is particularly difficult because there are numerous dimensions to consider (e.g., performance, satisfaction, benefit). Often there are discrepancies between scores in these dimensions. It is difficult to reconcile these discrepancies because the materials and formats used to measure each dimension are so very different. We report data obtained with an outcome measure that examines both objective and subjective dimensions with the same test format and materials and gives results in the same unit of measurement (signal-to-noise ratio). Two variables are measured: a “performance” speech reception threshold and a “perceptual” speech reception threshold. The signal-to-noise ratio difference between these is computed to determine the perceptual-performance discrepancy (PPDIS). The results showed that, on average, 48 percent of the variance in subjective ratings of a hearing aid could be explained by a combination of the performance speech reception threshold and the PPDIS. These findings suggest that the measure is potentially a valuable clinical tool.

scholarly journals Developing a speech intelligibility test based on measuring speech reception thresholds in noise for English and Finnish

2005 ◽  
Vol 118 (3) ◽  
pp. 1742-1750 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martti Vainio ◽  
Antti Suni ◽  
Hanna Järveläinen ◽  
Juhani Järvikivi ◽  
Ville-Veikko Mattila
Keyword(s):  
Speech Intelligibility ◽  
Speech Reception ◽  
Intelligibility Test ◽  
Speech Reception Thresholds

Quantitative Description of the Dysarthria in Women With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

1992 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 723-733 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane Finley Kent ◽  
Raymond D. Kent ◽  
John C. Rosenbek ◽  
Gary Weismer ◽  
Ruth Martin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ◽  
Speech Intelligibility ◽  
Word Identification ◽  
Signal To Noise Ratio ◽  
Quantitative Description ◽  
Initial Position ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Acoustic Measures ◽  
Phonetic Features ◽  
Lateral Sclerosis

Speech intelligibility and its phonetic and acoustic correlates were studied in a group of 10 women with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Intelligibility assessment with a word-identification test indicated that the most disrupted phonetic features pertained to velopharyngeal valving, lingual function for consonant contrasts of place and manner, and syllable shape. An acoustic signature analysis based on trajectories of the first and second formants in selected monosyllabic test words revealed that the mean slope of the second formant (F 2 ) was reduced compared with that of a normal geriatric control group. This F 2 slope reduction is interpreted to reflect loss of lingual motoneurons. Acoustic measures of phonatory function for sustained vowel prolongation demonstrated abnormalities in fundamental frequency, perturbations of frequency (jitter) and amplitude (shimmer), and signal-to-noise ratio. The data for women with ALS are compared with data for a normal geriatric control group of women and with data for a group of 25 men with ALS (Kent et al., 1990). Although the overall ranking of errors was similar for males and females with ALS, men were more likely to have impairments of voicing in syllable-initial position.

scholarly journals Transient noise reduction in cochlear implant users: a multi-band approach

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Karl-Heinz Dyballa ◽  
Phillipp Hehrmann ◽  
Volkmar Hamacher ◽  
Thomas Lenarz ◽  
Andreas Buechner
Keyword(s):  
Cochlear Implant ◽  
Noise Reduction ◽  
Speech Intelligibility ◽  
Single Band ◽  
Processing Conditions ◽  
Multiple Frequency ◽  
Speech Processor ◽  
Speech Reception ◽  
Speech Reception Thresholds ◽  
Multi Band

A previously-tested transient noise reduction (TNR) algorithm for cochlear implant (CI) users was modified to detect and attenuate transients independently across multiple frequency-bands. Since speech and transient noise are often spectrally distinct, we hypothesized that benefits in speech intelligibility can be achieved over the earlier single- band design. Fifteen experienced CI users (49 to 72 years) were tested unilaterally using pre-processed stimuli delivered directly to a speech processor. Speech intelligibility in transient and soft stationary noise, subjective sound quality and the recognition of warning signals was investigated in three processing conditions: no TNR (TNRoff), single- band TNR (TNRsgl) and multi-band TNR (TNRmult). Notably, TNRmult improved speech reception thresholds (SRTs) in cafeteria noise and office noise by up to 3 dB over both TNRoff and TNRsgl, and yielded higher comfort and clarity ratings in cafeteria noise. Our results indicate that multi-band transient noise reduction may be advantageous compared to a single-band approach, and reveal a substantial overall potential for TNR to improve speech perception and listening comfort in CI users.

scholarly journals Efficient Adaptive Speech Reception Threshold Measurements Using Stochastic Approximation Algorithms

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 ◽  
pp. 233121652091919
Author(s):  
Gertjan Dingemanse ◽  
André Goedegebure
Keyword(s):  
Simulation Model ◽  
Stochastic Approximation ◽  
Speech Intelligibility ◽  
Signal To Noise Ratio ◽  
Efficient Estimation ◽  
Speech In Noise ◽  
Clinical Procedures ◽  
Speech Reception ◽  
Adaptive Procedures ◽  
Intelligibility Score

This study examines whether speech-in-noise tests that use adaptive procedures to assess a speech reception threshold in noise ( SRT50n) can be optimized using stochastic approximation (SA) methods, especially in cochlear-implant (CI) users. A simulation model was developed that simulates intelligibility scores for words from sentences in noise for both CI users and normal-hearing (NH) listeners. The model was used in Monte Carlo simulations. Four different SA algorithms were optimized for use in both groups and compared with clinically used adaptive procedures. The simulation model proved to be valid, as its results agreed very well with existing experimental data. The four optimized SA algorithms all provided an efficient estimation of the SRT50n. They were equally accurate and produced smaller standard deviations (SDs) than the clinical procedures. In CI users, SRT50n estimates had a small bias and larger SDs than in NH listeners. At least 20 sentences per condition and an initial signal-to-noise ratio below the real SRT50n were required to ensure sufficient reliability. In CI users, bias and SD became unacceptably large for a maximum speech intelligibility score in quiet below 70%. In conclusion, SA algorithms with word scoring in adaptive speech-in-noise tests are applicable to various listeners, from CI users to NH listeners. In CI users, they lead to efficient estimation of the SRT50n as long as speech intelligibility in quiet is greater than 70%. SA procedures can be considered as a valid, more efficient, and alternative to clinical adaptive procedures currently used in CI users.

scholarly journals Binaural (pre)processing for contralateral sound field attenuation and improved speech-in-noise recognition

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Enrique A. Lopez-Poveda ◽  
Almudena Eustaquio-Martín ◽  
Fernando Martín San Victoriano
Keyword(s):  
Sound Source ◽  
Transfer Functions ◽  
Signal To Noise Ratio ◽  
Free Field ◽  
Sound Field ◽  
Directivity Pattern ◽  
Sound Sources ◽  
Speech In Noise ◽  
Speech Reception ◽  
Speech Reception Thresholds

ABSTRACTUnderstanding speech presented in competition with other sound sources can be challenging. Here, we reason that this task can be facilitated by improving the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in either of the two ears and that in free-field listening scenarios, this can be achieved by attenuating contralateral sounds. We present a binaural (pre)processing algorithm that improves the SNR in the ear ipsilateral to the target sound source by linear subtraction of the weighted contralateral stimulus. Although the weight is regarded as a free parameter, we justify setting it equal to the ratio of ipsilateral to contralateral head-related transfer functions averaged over an appropriate azimuth range. The algorithm is implemented in the frequency domain and evaluated technically and experimentally for normal-hearing listeners in simulated free-field conditions. Results show that (1) it can substantially improve the SNR (up to 20 dB) and the short-term intelligibility metric in the ear ipsilateral to the target source, particularly for speech-like maskers; (2) it can improve speech reception thresholds for sentences in competition with speech-shaped noise by up to 8.5 dB in bilateral listening and 10.0 dB in unilateral listening; (3) it hardly affects sound-source localization; and (4) the improvements, and the algorithm’s directivity pattern depend on the weights. The algorithm accounts qualitatively for binaural unmasking for speech in competition with multiple maskers and for multiple target-masker spatial arrangements, an unexpected property that can inspire binaural intelligibility models.

Speech-in-Noise Tests for Multilingual Hearing Screening and Diagnostics1

2013 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 175-178 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melanie A. Zokoll ◽  
Sabine Hochmuth ◽  
Anna Warzybok ◽  
Kirsten C. Wagener ◽  
Michael Buschermöhle ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Speech Intelligibility ◽  
Signal To Noise Ratio ◽  
Model Function ◽  
Minimum Quality Standards ◽  
Speech In Noise ◽  
Speech Reception ◽  
The Matrix ◽  
Cross Language ◽  
Minimum Quality

Purpose New complementary multilingual speech-in-noise tests in Russian, Turkish, and Spanish for hearing self-screening purposes and follow-up hearing diagnostics are compared to the speech tests of the European project, HearCom (Hearing in the Communication Society). Method The tests consist of spoken numbers (Digit Triplet Test; Smits, Kapteyn, & Houtgast, 2004) or sentences (Matrix Test; e.g., Hagerman, 1982) presented in a background noise and estimate the speech reception threshold, which is the signal-to-noise ratio that yields 50% speech intelligibility. All tests were developed according to the HearCom minimum quality standards for speech intelligibility tests. This report presents a cross-language comparison of reference speech intelligibility functions for monaural headphone measurements with normal-hearing listeners. The same model function was employed to describe the speech intelligibility functions for all of the tests. Results Reference speech intelligibility functions of the new versions of the Digit Triplet Test and Matrix Test show high comparability to the HearCom tests. In order to achieve the highest possible comparability across languages, language- and speaker-dependent factors in speech intelligibility should be compensated for. Conclusion To date, several complementary tests for screening and diagnostics have been developed in several languages. Adhering to the HearCom standards, the tests are highly comparable across languages. For the Matrix Test, equal syntax and linguistic complexity were maintained across languages due to common methodological standards.

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