scholarly journals Speech intelligibility in free field: Spatial unmasking in preschool children

2007 ◽  
Vol 121 (2) ◽  
pp. 1047-1055 ◽  
Author(s):  
Soha N. Garadat ◽  
Ruth Y. Litovsky
Keyword(s):  
Preschool Children ◽  
Speech Intelligibility ◽  
Free Field ◽  
Spatial Unmasking

scholarly journals Auditory Attention and Spatial Unmasking in Children With Cochlear Implants

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 ◽  
pp. 233121652094698
Author(s):  
Sara M. Misurelli ◽  
Matthew J. Goupell ◽  
Emily A. Burg ◽  
Rachael Jocewicz ◽  
Alan Kan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cochlear Implants ◽  
Free Field ◽  
Auditory Attention ◽  
Noisy Environments ◽  
Speech Stimuli ◽  
Bilateral Cochlear Implants ◽  
Speech Reception ◽  
Spatial Unmasking ◽  
Speech Reception Thresholds ◽  
Hearing Children

The ability to attend to target speech in background noise is an important skill, particularly for children who spend many hours in noisy environments. Intelligibility improves as a result of spatial or binaural unmasking in the free-field for normal-hearing children; however, children who use bilateral cochlear implants (BiCIs) demonstrate little benefit in similar situations. It was hypothesized that poor auditory attention abilities might explain the lack of unmasking observed in children with BiCIs. Target and interferer speech stimuli were presented to either or both ears of BiCI participants via their clinical processors. Speech reception thresholds remained low when the target and interferer were in opposite ears, but they did not show binaural unmasking when the interferer was presented to both ears and the target only to one ear. These results demonstrate that, in the most extreme cases of stimulus separation, children with BiCIs can ignore an interferer and attend to target speech, but there is weak or absent binaural unmasking. It appears that children with BiCIs mostly experience poor encoding of binaural cues rather than deficits in ability to selectively attend to target speech.

Long-term Outcomes of Clip Coupler Implantation in Patients with Unilateral Congenital Aural Atresia

2020 ◽  
Vol 129 (12) ◽  
pp. 1221-1228
Author(s):  
Chunli Zhao ◽  
Jinsong Yang ◽  
Yujie Liu ◽  
Mengdie Gao ◽  
Peiwei Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Speech Intelligibility ◽  
Signal To Noise Ratio ◽  
Bone Conduction ◽  
Free Field ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Aural Atresia ◽  
Long Term Follow Up ◽  
Congenital Aural Atresia

Objective: To evaluate the long-term safety and efficacy of the Clip coupler attached to the stapes head in patients with unilateral congenital aural atresia (CAA). Methods: This single-center retrospective study included 16 Mandarin-speaking patients who had unilateral microtia accompanied by CAA. All patients were divided into two groups: the short-term follow-up group (n = 9) and the long-term follow-up group (n = 7). The floating mass transducer of the Vibrant Soundbridge (VSB) was positioned in the stapes head by the Clip coupler. The safety of the VSB was investigated by comparing preoperative and postoperative bone-conduction (BC) thresholds as well as by complications. The effectiveness was evaluated by functional gain (FG), word recognition score (WRS), speech reception threshold (SRT) and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Results: Pre- and post-operative BC thresholds were no different in all patients. And no complications developed. VSB-aided thresholds in the free-field had improved significantly in both short- and long-term follow-up groups. The improvements of WRS were observed in two groups. The monosyllabic VSB-aided WRS in the long-term follow-up group was significantly higher than that in the short-term follow-up group. When speech was from the impaired ear and noise presented to the side of normal ear (SVSBNCL), lower SNRs were found in two groups after VSB implantation. However, there was no statistical difference in aided SNR between the two groups at SVSBNCL status. Conclusions: Our results show that the FMT connected to the stapes head is a secure and useful device for patients with unilateral CHL/MHL, not only in terms of improved hearing thresholds, but also improved speech intelligibility in quiet and noisy environments.

Audiological Results with the SAMBA Audio Processor in Comparison to the Amadé for the Vibrant Soundbridge

2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 164-172
Author(s):  
Denise Zimmermann ◽  
Susan Busch ◽  
Thomas Lenarz ◽  
Hannes Maier
Keyword(s):  
Speech Intelligibility ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Bone Conduction ◽  
Free Field ◽  
Trial Period ◽  
Vibrant Soundbridge ◽  
Speech Processor ◽  
Level Of Satisfaction ◽  
Oldenburg Sentence Test ◽  
Flexible Adaptation

Background: Since its introduction in 1996, the Vibrant Soundbridge (VSB) has been upgraded with several improved generations of processors. As all systems are compatible, implanted patients can benefit from new technologies by upgrading to the newest processor type available. Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare the performance of the new (current) SAMBA processor with the previous Amadé processor. Methods: Twenty subjects monaurally implanted with a VSB and the Amadé processor tested the new SAMBA processor for a trial period of 4 weeks. We measured air conduction and bone conduction thresholds, unaided thresholds, and aided free field thresholds with both devices. Speech performance in quiet using the Freiburg monosyllabic test at 65 dB SPL (S0) was compared. The speech intelligibility in noise was determined using the Oldenburg sentence test measured in different listening conditions (S0NVSB/S0Ncontra) and microphone settings (omni/directional vs. adaptive directivity). Results: Word recognition scores in quiet with the SAMBA were still significantly lower than with the Amadé after the 4 weeks trial period but improved over the following year. Speech intelligibility with the SAMBA was significantly better than with the Amadé in omnidirectional mode and comparable with the Amadé in directional mode. Hence, the adaptive directionality provides an advantage in difficult hearing situations such as noisy environments. The subjective benefit was evaluated using the Abbreviated Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit and the Speech, Spatial and Qualities-C questionnaire. Results of the questionnaires demonstrate an overall higher level of satisfaction with the new SAMBA speech processor than with the older processor. Conclusion: The SAMBA enables similar speech perception in quiet but more flexible adaptation in acoustically challenging environments compared to the previous Amadé processor.

Speech Intelligibility Differences across Sound Classes with in-the-Ear and Free-Field Microphones in Quiet

2011 ◽  
Vol 112 (3) ◽  
pp. 845-859
Author(s):  
Julie M. Estis ◽  
Julie A. Parisi ◽  
Robert E. Moore ◽  
Douglas S. Brungart
Keyword(s):  
Speech Intelligibility ◽  
Free Field

scholarly journals Word and Mystery: The Acoustics of Cultural Transmission During the Protestant Reformation

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Braxton Boren
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Transmission ◽  
Speech Intelligibility ◽  
Order Approximation ◽  
Free Field ◽  
Semantic Content ◽  
Physical Acoustics ◽  
The West ◽  
Acoustic Environment ◽  
Worship Service ◽  
Catholic Faith

To a first-order approximation we can place most worship services on a continuum between clarity and mystery, depending on the setting and content of the service. This liturgical space can be thought of as a combination of the physical acoustics of the worship space and the qualities of the sound created during the worship service. A very clear acoustic channel emphasizes semantic content, especially speech intelligibility. An immersive, reverberant acoustic emphasizes mystery and music. One of the chief challenges in acoustical design is the fact that both clarity and immersion are subjectively preferred by audiences, yet these two goals are almost mutually exclusive of one another. The movement along this continuum in liturgical space can also be seen in the religious contexts for many of the worship spaces constructed in the West in the last two millennia. In the case of religious ceremony, a free field acoustic environment provides more clarity and precision in the spoken word received from God and given to the congregation. Yet a diffuse field environment provides an embodied, otherworldly sense of the supernatural: the mystery of the faith received which cannot merely be put into words. This tension is perceptible in many of the religious controversies in the West during this time period. This article examines the history of the spaces used by early Western Catholic Christians as well as those of the traditions—Lutheran and Calvinist—that left the Catholic faith during the 16th century Reformation. By considering the stated goals of these traditions alongside the architectural and liturgical innovations they created, it can be seen that emergent liturgical spaces mirror the assumptions of their respective traditions regarding the proper balance between semantic and aesthetic communication during the worship service. The Reformed faiths' emphasis on the power of the Word is reflected in the liturgical space of their services, while the Catholic faith gave greater priority to the role of Mystery, in their liturgical space as well as their explicit theology. Once constructed, these spaces also aid the cultural transmission of the sung or spoken liturgy of each tradition to future generations.

The Effect of the XM45 Gas Mask and Hood on Directional Hearing

1997 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 864-867
Author(s):  
T. R. Letowski ◽  
G. L. Ricard ◽  
J. E. Greives
Keyword(s):  
Speech Intelligibility ◽  
Free Field ◽  
Directional Hearing ◽  
Directional Sensitivity ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Spatial Awareness ◽  
Hearing Thresholds ◽  
Gas Mask ◽  
Modified Rhyme Test ◽  
Narrow Bands

We measured listeners' directional sensitivity for narrow bands of noise and for speech recognition while they were wearing the XM45 gas mask and hood and compared it to normal free-field listening. Bekesy tracking was used to measure absolute hearing thresholds for 1/3 octave bands of noise centered at 0.125, 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8 kHz. and masked intelligibility thresholds for speech were measured using the Modified Rhyme Test. Both the noise and speech signals were presented from loudspeakers located at azimuths of 0°, 45°, 90°, 135°, and 180°. The mask and hood significantly elevated noise-band thresholds for those bands centered at 1.0 kHz and above. Sensitivity to masked speech was increased by over 12 dB by lateral loudspeaker placement, and wearing a gas mask and hood reduced this gain by 80 percent. These results document a loss of auditory spatial awareness that has not been apparent from previous studies of speech intelligibility while wearing chemical protective equipment.

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