The S-SH Confusion Test and the Effects of Frequency Lowering

2019 ◽  
Vol 62 (5) ◽  
pp. 1486-1505
Author(s):  
Joshua M. Alexander
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Response Times ◽  
Nonlinear Frequency ◽  
Low Frequencies ◽  
Frequency Compression ◽  
Negative Side ◽  
Minimal Word ◽  
Low Pass ◽  
Negative Side Effects

PurposeFrequency lowering in hearing aids can cause listeners to perceive [s] as [ʃ]. The S-SH Confusion Test, which consists of 66 minimal word pairs spoken by 6 female talkers, was designed to help clinicians and researchers document these negative side effects. This study's purpose was to use this new test to evaluate the hypothesis that these confusions will increase to the extent that low frequencies are altered.MethodTwenty-one listeners with normal hearing were each tested on 7 conditions. Three were control conditions that were low-pass filtered at 3.3, 5.0, and 9.1 kHz. Four conditions were processed with nonlinear frequency compression (NFC): 2 had a 3.3-kHz maximum audible output frequency (MAOF), with a start frequency (SF) of 1.6 or 2.2 kHz; 2 had a 5.0-kHz MAOF, with an SF of 1.6 or 4.0 kHz. Listeners' responses were analyzed using concepts from signal detection theory. Response times were also collected as a measure of cognitive processing.ResultsOverall, [s] for [ʃ] confusions were minimal. As predicted, [ʃ] for [s] confusions increased for NFC conditions with a lower versus higher MAOF and with a lower versus higher SF. Response times for trials with correct [s] responses were shortest for the 9.1-kHz control and increased for the 5.0- and 3.3-kHz controls. NFC response times were also significantly longer as MAOF and SF decreased. The NFC condition with the highest MAOF and SF had statistically shorter response times than its control condition, indicating that, under some circumstances, NFC may ease cognitive processing.ConclusionsLarge differences in the S-SH Confusion Test across frequency-lowering conditions show that it can be used to document a major negative side effect associated with frequency lowering. Smaller but significant differences in response times for correct [s] trials indicate that NFC can help or hinder cognitive processing, depending on its settings.

scholarly journals Speech Perception and Sound-Quality Rating with an Adaptive Nonlinear Frequency Compression Algorithm in Mandarin-Speaking Hearing Aid Users

2020 ◽  
Vol 31 (08) ◽  
pp. 590-598
Author(s):  
Li Xu ◽  
Solveig C. Voss ◽  
Jing Yang ◽  
Xianhui Wang ◽  
Qian Lu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Detection Threshold ◽  
Sound Quality ◽  
Hearing Impaired ◽  
Nonlinear Frequency ◽  
Frequency Compression ◽  
Speech Reception ◽  
Quality Ratings ◽  
Phoneme Detection

Abstract Background Mandarin Chinese has a rich repertoire of high-frequency speech sounds. This may pose a remarkable challenge to hearing-impaired listeners who speak Mandarin Chinese because of their high-frequency sloping hearing loss. An adaptive nonlinear frequency compression (adaptive NLFC) algorithm has been implemented in contemporary hearing aids to alleviate the problem. Purpose The present study examined the performance of speech perception and sound-quality rating in Mandarin-speaking hearing-impaired listeners using hearing aids fitted with adaptive NLFC (i.e., SoundRecover2 or SR2) at different parameter settings. Research Design Hearing-impaired listeners' phoneme detection thresholds, speech reception thresholds, and sound-quality ratings were collected with various SR2 settings. Study Sample The participants included 15 Mandarin-speaking adults aged 32 to 84 years old who had symmetric sloping severe-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss. Intervention The participants were fitted bilaterally with Phonak Naida V90-SP hearing aids. Data Collection and Analysis The outcome measures included phoneme detection threshold using the Mandarin Phonak Phoneme Perception test, speech reception threshold using the Mandarin hearing in noise test (M-HINT), and sound-quality ratings on human speech in quiet and noise, bird chirps, and music in quiet. For each test, five experimental settings were applied and compared: SR2-off, SR2-weak, SR2-default, SR2-strong 1, and SR2-strong 2. Results The results showed that listeners performed significantly better with SR2-strong 1 and SR2-strong 2 settings than with SR2-off or SR2-weak settings for speech reception threshold and phoneme detection threshold. However, no significant improvement was observed in sound-quality ratings among different settings. Conclusions These preliminary findings suggested that the adaptive NLFC algorithm provides perceptual benefit to Mandarin-speaking people with severe-to-profound hearing loss.

The Effect of Nonlinear Frequency Compression on Acoustic Change Complex Responses in High-Frequency Dead-Regioned Hearing Loss

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ebru Kösemihal ◽  
Ferda Akdas
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
High Frequency ◽  
Normal Hearing ◽  
Nonlinear Frequency ◽  
Frequency Compression ◽  
Frequency Information ◽  
Cortical Level ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Acoustic Change Complex

Abstract Purpose The study is concern with the distinguishing of the stimuli containing high frequency information with the frequency compression feature at the cortical level using the acoustic change complex (ACC) and the comparison of such with the ACC answers of individuals with normal hearing. Research Design This is a case–control study. Study Sample Thirty adults (21 males and nine females) with normal hearing, ranging in age between 16 and 63 years (mean: 36.7 ± 12.9 years) and 20 adults (16 males and four females) with hearing loss ranging in age between 16 and 70 years (mean:49.0 ± 19.8 years) have been included in this study. Data Collection and Analysis A total of 1,000 ms long stimulus containing 500 and 4,000 Hz tonal stimuli was used for ACC recording. The start frequency (SF) and compression ratio (CR) parameters of the hearing aids were programmed according to the default settings (SFd, CRd) in the device software, the optimal setting (SFo, CRo), and the extra compression (SFe, CRe) requirements and ACC has been recorded for each condition. Evaluation has been performed according to P1-N1-P2 wave complex and ACC complex wave latencies. Independent samples t-test was used to test the significance of the differences between the groups. Results In all individuals ACC has been observed. There was a significant difference between the wave latencies in normal hearing- and hearing-impaired groups. All wave latency averages of the individuals with hearing impairment were longer than the individuals with normal hearing. There were statistically significant differences between SFd-SFo, SFd-SFe, and SFo-SFe parameters. But there was no difference between CRd, CRo, and CRe in terms of CRs. Conclusion In order to discriminate high frequency information at the cortical level we should not rely on default settings of the SF and CR of the hearing aids. Optimal bandwidth must be adjusted without performing insufficient compression or over-compression. ACC can be used besides the real ear measurement for hearing aid fitting.

scholarly journals Negative Side Effects Associated with Hearing Aid Use in Adults with Hearing Loss

2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (06) ◽  
pp. 472-481 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vinaya Manchaiah ◽  
Harvey Abrams ◽  
Abram Bailey ◽  
Gerhard Andersson
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Side Effects ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Principal Components ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Negative Side ◽  
Hearing Aid Use ◽  
Components Analysis ◽  
Negative Side Effects

AbstractThe low uptake of hearing aids in the United States has been attributed to a number of reasons, including low perceived hearing disability, limited perceived benefit and cost. Another possible reason may be related to negative side effects associated with hearing aid use.The present study was aimed at determining and classifying the negative side effects associated with hearing aid use in adults with hearing loss.The study used a cross-sectional survey design.Five hundred and twelve participants completed an electronic survey.The data was collected using the negative side effects of hearing aids (NSE-HAs) questionnaire. Data were analyzed using Chi square analysis, principal components analysis, and calculation of Cronbach’s alpha.Some individuals reported negative side effects for all 32 items. However, careful examination of results suggests that, as a whole, reported negative side effects tend to be mild with mean scores falling close to the lower quartile of the total scores. Chi square test results suggest that the variables of age, gender, duration of hearing loss, self-reported hearing disability, and duration of hearing aid use seem to be significantly associated with the reported negative side effects. The NSE-HAs questionnaire was found to have a complex structure as indicated by the principal components analysis. However, good internal consistency was found in both the full scale and subscales.The present study suggests that, although a large number of adults with hearing loss who use hearing aids experience some degree of negative side effects, those effects tend to be mild.

Negative Side Effects of Hearing Aids Questionnaire

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vinaya Manchaiah ◽  
Harvey Abrams ◽  
Abram Bailey ◽  
Gerhard Andersson
Keyword(s):  
Side Effects ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Negative Side ◽  
Negative Side Effects

scholarly journals Sound Quality Effects of an Adaptive Nonlinear Frequency Compression Processor with Normal-Hearing and Hearing-Impaired Listeners

2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (07) ◽  
pp. 552-563 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danielle Glista ◽  
Marianne Hawkins ◽  
Jonathan M. Vaisberg ◽  
Nazanin Pourmand ◽  
Vijay Parsa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Sound Quality ◽  
Normal Hearing ◽  
Speech Quality ◽  
Hearing Impaired ◽  
Nonlinear Frequency ◽  
Experimental Conditions ◽  
Frequency Compression ◽  
Test Conditions ◽  
Quality Ratings

AbstractFrequency lowering (FL) technology offers a means of improving audibility of high-frequency sounds. For some listeners, the benefit of such technology can be accompanied by a perceived degradation in sound quality, depending on the strength of the FL setting.The studies presented in this article investigate the effect of a new type of FL signal processing for hearing aids, adaptive nonlinear frequency compression (ANFC), on subjective speech quality.Listener ratings of sound quality were collected for speech stimuli processed with systematically varied fitting parameters.Study 1 included 40 normal-hearing (NH) adult and child listeners. Study 2 included 11 hearing-impaired (HI) adult and child listeners. HI listeners were fitted with laboratory-worn hearing aids for use during listening tasks.Speech quality ratings were assessed across test conditions consisting of various strengths of static nonlinear frequency compression (NFC) and ANFC speech. Test conditions included those that were fine-tuned on an individual basis per hearing aid fitting and conditions that were modified to intentionally alter the sound quality of the signal.Listeners rated speech quality using the MUlti Stimulus test with Hidden Reference and Anchor (MUSHRA) test paradigm. Ratings were analyzed for reliability and to compare results across conditions.Results show that interrater reliability is high for both studies, indicating that NH and HI listeners from both adult and child age groups can reliably complete the MUSHRA task. Results comparing sound quality ratings across experimental conditions suggest that both the NH and HI listener groups rate the stimuli intended to have poor sound quality (e.g., anchors and the strongest available parameter settings) as having below-average sound quality ratings. A different trend in the results is reported when considering the other experimental conditions across the listener groups in the studies. Speech quality ratings measured with NH listeners improve as the strength of ANFC decreases, with a range of bad to good ratings reported, on average. Speech quality ratings measured with HI listeners are similar and above-average for many of the experimental stimuli, including those with fine-tuned NFC and ANFC parameters.Overall, HI listeners provide similar sound quality ratings when comparing static and adaptive forms of frequency compression, especially when considering the individualized parameter settings. These findings suggest that a range in settings may result in above-average sound quality for adults and children with hearing impairment. Furthermore, the fitter should fine-tune FL parameters for each individual listener, regardless of type of FL technology.

The Effect of Adaptive Nonlinear Frequency Compression on Phoneme Perception

2017 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 531-542 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danielle Glista ◽  
Marianne Hawkins ◽  
Andrea Bohnert ◽  
Julia Rehmann ◽  
Jace Wolfe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Speech Perception ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Multiple Testing ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
Similar Amount ◽  
Nonlinear Frequency ◽  
Group Level ◽  
Frequency Compression ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Phoneme Perception

Purpose This study implemented a fitting method, developed for use with frequency lowering hearing aids, across multiple testing sites, participants, and hearing aid conditions to evaluate speech perception with a novel type of frequency lowering. Method A total of 8 participants, including children and young adults, participated in real-world hearing aid trials. A blinded crossover design, including posttrial withdrawal testing, was used to assess aided phoneme perception. The hearing aid conditions included adaptive nonlinear frequency compression (NFC), static NFC, and conventional processing. Results Enabling either adaptive NFC or static NFC improved group-level detection and recognition results for some high-frequency phonemes, when compared with conventional processing. Mean results for the distinction component of the Phoneme Perception Test (Schmitt, Winkler, Boretzki, & Holube, 2016) were similar to those obtained with conventional processing. Conclusions Findings suggest that both types of NFC tested in this study provided a similar amount of speech perception benefit, when compared with group-level performance with conventional hearing aid technology. Individual-level results are presented with discussion around patterns of results that differ from the group average.

scholarly journals Paired Comparisons of Nonlinear Frequency Compression, Extended Bandwidth, and Restricted Bandwidth Hearing Aid Processing for Children and Adults with Hearing Loss

2014 ◽  
Vol 25 (10) ◽  
pp. 983-998 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marc A. Brennan ◽  
Ryan McCreery ◽  
Judy Kopun ◽  
Brenda Hoover ◽  
Joshua Alexander ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Nonlinear Frequency ◽  
Frequency Compression ◽  
Low Pass ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Adults And Children ◽  
Forced Choice Task ◽  
Children With Hearing Loss

Background: Preference for speech and music processed with nonlinear frequency compression (NFC) and two controls (restricted bandwidth [RBW] and extended bandwidth [EBW] hearing aid processing) was examined in adults and children with hearing loss. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine if stimulus type (music, sentences), age (children, adults), and degree of hearing loss influence listener preference for NFC, RBW, and EBW. Research Design: Design was a within-participant, quasi-experimental study. Using a round-robin procedure, participants listened to amplified stimuli that were (1) frequency lowered using NFC, (2) low-pass filtered at 5 kHz to simulate the RBW of conventional hearing aid processing, or (3) low-pass filtered at 11 kHz to simulate EBW amplification. The examiner and participants were blinded to the type of processing. Using a two-alternative forced-choice task, participants selected the preferred music or sentence passage. Study Sample: Participants included 16 children (ages 8–16 yr) and 16 adults (ages 19–65 yr) with mild to severe sensorineural hearing loss. Intervention: All participants listened to speech and music processed using a hearing aid simulator fit to the Desired Sensation Level algorithm v5.0a. Results: Children and adults did not differ in their preferences. For speech, participants preferred EBW to both NFC and RBW. Participants also preferred NFC to RBW. Preference was not related to the degree of hearing loss. For music, listeners did not show a preference. However, participants with greater hearing loss preferred NFC to RBW more than participants with less hearing loss. Conversely, participants with greater hearing loss were less likely to prefer EBW to RBW. Conclusions: Both age groups preferred access to high-frequency sounds, as demonstrated by their preference for either the EBW or NFC conditions over the RBW condition. Preference for EBW can be limited for those with greater degrees of hearing loss, but participants with greater hearing loss may be more likely to prefer NFC. Further investigation using participants with more severe hearing loss may be warranted.

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