Interaction between voice-gender difference and spatial separation in release from masking in multi-talker listening environments

Purpose Speech recognition in complex listening environments is enhanced by the extent of spatial separation between the speech source and background competing sources, an effect known as spatial release from masking (SRM). The aim of this study was to investigate whether the phase-locked neural activity in the central auditory pathways, reflected in the frequency following response (FFR), exhibits SRM. Method Eighteen normal-hearing adults (8 men and 10 women, ranging in age from 20 to 42 years) with no known neurological disorders participated in this study. FFRs were recorded from the participants in response to a target vowel /u/ presented with spatially colocated and separated competing talkers at 3 ranges of signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs), with median SNRs of −5.4, 0.5, and 6.8 dB and for different attentional conditions (attention and no attention). Results Amplitude of the FFR at the fundamental frequency was significantly larger in the spatially separated condition as compared to the colocated condition for only the lowest (< −2.4 dB SNR) of the 3 SNR ranges tested. A significant effect of attention was found when subjects were actively focusing on the target stimuli. No significant interaction effects were found between spatial separation and attention. Conclusions The enhanced representation of the target stimulus in the separated condition suggests that the temporal pattern of phase-locked brainstem neural activity generating the FFR may contain information relevant to the binaural processes underlying SRM but only in challenging listening environments. Attention may modulate FFR fundamental frequency amplitude but does not seem to modulate spatial processing at the level of generating the FFR. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.9992597

Download Full-text

Spatial Release from Masking Using Clinical Corpora: Sentence Recognition in a Colocated or Spatially Separated Speech Masker

Journal of the American Academy of Audiology ◽

10.3766/jaaa.19018 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 31 (04) ◽

pp. 271-276

Author(s):

Grant King ◽

Nicole E. Corbin ◽

Lori J. Leibold ◽

Emily Buss

Keyword(s):

Hearing Loss ◽

Speech Recognition ◽

Spatial Separation ◽

Speech Corpus ◽

Sentence Recognition ◽

Spatial Release ◽

The Mean ◽

Release From Masking ◽

Perceived Spatial Separation ◽

Separation Conditions

Abstract Background Speech recognition in complex multisource environments is challenging, particularly for listeners with hearing loss. One source of difficulty is the reduced ability of listeners with hearing loss to benefit from spatial separation of the target and masker, an effect called spatial release from masking (SRM). Despite the prevalence of complex multisource environments in everyday life, SRM is not routinely evaluated in the audiology clinic. Purpose The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the feasibility of assessing SRM in adults using widely available tests of speech-in-speech recognition that can be conducted using standard clinical equipment. Research Design Participants were 22 young adults with normal hearing. The task was masked sentence recognition, using each of five clinically available corpora with speech maskers. The target always sounded like it originated from directly in front of the listener, and the masker either sounded like it originated from the front (colocated with the target) or from the side (separated from the target). In the real spatial manipulation conditions, source location was manipulated by routing the target and masker to either a single speaker or to two speakers: one directly in front of the participant, and one mounted in an adjacent corner, 90° to the right. In the perceived spatial separation conditions, the target and masker were presented from both speakers with delays that made them sound as if they were either colocated or separated. Results With real spatial manipulations, the mean SRM ranged from 7.1 to 11.4 dB, depending on the speech corpus. With perceived spatial manipulations, the mean SRM ranged from 1.8 to 3.1 dB. Whereas real separation improves the signal-to-noise ratio in the ear contralateral to the masker, SRM in the perceived spatial separation conditions is based solely on interaural timing cues. Conclusions The finding of robust SRM with widely available speech corpora supports the feasibility of measuring this important aspect of hearing in the audiology clinic. The finding of a small but significant SRM in the perceived spatial separation conditions suggests that modified materials could be used to evaluate the use of interaural timing cues specifically.

Download Full-text

Release from masking through spatial separation in distance in hearing impaired listeners

10.1121/1.4799721 ◽

2013 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Adam Westermann ◽

Jorg M. Buchholz

Keyword(s):

Spatial Separation ◽

Hearing Impaired ◽

Release From Masking

Download Full-text

Binaural Speech Understanding With Bilateral Cochlear Implants in Reverberation

American Journal of Audiology ◽

10.1044/2017_aja-17-0065 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 27 (1) ◽

pp. 85-94 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Kostas Kokkinakis

Keyword(s):

Sound Field ◽

Spatial Location ◽

Speech Understanding ◽

Spatial Cues ◽

Bilateral Cochlear Implants ◽

Positive Effects ◽

Spatial Release ◽

Listening Environments ◽

Speech Reception Thresholds ◽

Release From Masking

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to investigate whether bilateral cochlear implant (CI) listeners who are fitted with clinical processors are able to benefit from binaural advantages under reverberant conditions. Another aim of this contribution was to determine whether the magnitude of each binaural advantage observed inside a highly reverberant environment differs significantly from the magnitude measured in a near-anechoic environment.MethodTen adults with postlingual deafness who are bilateral CI users fitted with either Nucleus 5 or Nucleus 6 clinical sound processors (Cochlear Corporation) participated in this study. Speech reception thresholds were measured in sound field and 2 different reverberation conditions (0.06 and 0.6 s) as a function of the listening condition (left, right, both) and the noise spatial location (left, front, right).ResultsThe presence of the binaural effects of head-shadow, squelch, summation, and spatial release from masking in the 2 different reverberation conditions tested was determined using nonparametric statistical analysis. In the bilateral population tested, when the ambient reverberation time was equal to 0.6 s, results indicated strong positive effects of head-shadow and a weaker spatial release from masking advantage, whereas binaural squelch and summation contributed no statistically significant benefit to bilateral performance under this acoustic condition. These findings are consistent with those of previous studies, which have demonstrated that head-shadow yields the most pronounced advantage in noise. The finding that spatial release from masking produced little to almost no benefit in bilateral listeners is consistent with the hypothesis that additive reverberation degrades spatial cues and negatively affects binaural performance.ConclusionsThe magnitude of 4 different binaural advantages was measured on the same group of bilateral CI subjects fitted with clinical processors in 2 different reverberation conditions. The results of this work demonstrate the impeding properties of reverberation on binaural speech understanding. In addition, results indicate that CI recipients who struggle in everyday listening environments are also more likely to benefit less in highly reverberant environments from their bilateral processors.

Download Full-text

Current Perspectives in Management of Unilateral Sensorineural Hearing Loss and Single Sided Deafness

10.33169/ent.enatoaoj-i-104 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol I (1) ◽

pp. 15-18

Author(s):

Georgios K Panagiotopoulos

Keyword(s):

Hearing Loss ◽

Sensorineural Hearing Loss ◽

Treatment Strategies ◽

Sensorineural Hearing ◽

Sound Sources ◽

Binaural Summation ◽

Listening Environments ◽

Negative Effect ◽

Release From Masking ◽

Single Sided Deafness

Unilateral Sensorineural Hearing Loss (USNHL) or even Single Sided Deafness (SSD) were mistakenly believed in the past that they could not induce a notable negative effect on the average individual adult. Respectively, a child with USNHL could eventually develop typically and adequately with no particular challenges. Today, it is well established that both children and adults with USNHL and SSD experience difficulties locating sound sources than their normal peers attributable to the concomitant deprivation of data utilized for localization; interaural time differences along with interaural intensity differences, especially for high frequency sounds. Moreover, USNHL and SSD patients suffer from the absence of the binaural benefits that permit people with bilateral Normal Hearing (NH) to perform relatively well in challenging listening environments. These benefits encompass binaural summation that causes improved speech perception, and binaural release from masking that facilitates word recognition in noise. Rising treatment strategies, involving various type of amplification, Assistive Listening Devices (ALSs) and Cochlear Implantation, can greatly widen our overall approach regarding USNHL and / or SSD. Nevertheless, most recent evidence points out that both prompt and adequate intervention is crucial to promote optimal outcomes.

Download Full-text

The Role of Interaural Differences, Head Shadow, and Binaural Redundancy in Binaural Intelligibility Benefits Among School-Aged Children

Trends in Hearing ◽

10.1177/23312165211045313 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 25 ◽

pp. 233121652110453

Author(s):

Z. Ellen Peng ◽

Ruth Y. Litovsky

Keyword(s):

Speech Intelligibility ◽

Spatial Separation ◽

Spatial Cues ◽

Auditory Cues ◽

Auditory Space ◽

Early Maturation ◽

School Aged Children ◽

Listening Environments ◽

Interaural Difference ◽

Interaural Differences

In complex listening environments, children can benefit from auditory spatial cues to understand speech in noise. When a spatial separation is introduced between the target and masker and/or listening with two ears versus one ear, children can gain intelligibility benefits with access to one or more auditory cues for unmasking: monaural head shadow, binaural redundancy, and interaural differences. This study systematically quantified the contribution of individual auditory cues in providing binaural speech intelligibility benefits for children with normal hearing between 6 and 15 years old. In virtual auditory space, target speech was presented from + 90° azimuth (i.e., listener's right), and two-talker babble maskers were either co-located (+ 90° azimuth) or separated by 180° (–90° azimuth, listener's left). Testing was conducted over headphones in monaural (i.e., right ear) or binaural (i.e., both ears) conditions. Results showed continuous improvement of speech reception threshold (SRT) between 6 and 15 years old and immature performance at 15 years of age for both SRTs and intelligibility benefits from more than one auditory cue. With early maturation of head shadow, the prolonged maturation of unmasking was likely driven by children's poorer ability to gain full benefits from interaural difference cues. In addition, children demonstrated a trade-off between the benefits from head shadow versus interaural differences, suggesting an important aspect of individual differences in accessing auditory cues for binaural intelligibility benefits during development.

Download Full-text

Release from masking through spatial separation in distance in hearing impaired listeners

The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America ◽

10.1121/1.4806277 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 133 (5) ◽

pp. 3513-3513

Author(s):

Adam Westermann ◽

Jörg M. Buchholz

Keyword(s):

Spatial Separation ◽

Hearing Impaired ◽

Release From Masking

Download Full-text

Release from masking due to spatial separation of sources in the identification of nonspeech auditory patterns

The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America ◽

10.1121/1.423246 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 104 (1) ◽

pp. 422-431 ◽

Cited By ~ 122

Author(s):

Gerald Kidd ◽

Christine R. Mason ◽

Tanya L. Rohtla ◽

Phalguni S. Deliwala

Keyword(s):

Spatial Separation ◽

Release From Masking

Download Full-text

Availability of Binaural Cues for Pediatric Bilateral Cochlear Implant Recipients

Journal of the American Academy of Audiology ◽

10.3766/jaaa.26.3.8 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 26 (03) ◽

pp. 289-298 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Sterling W. Sheffield ◽

David S. Haynes ◽

George B. Wanna ◽

Robert F. Labadie ◽

René H. Gifford

Keyword(s):

Background Noise ◽

Binaural Hearing ◽

Ratio Test ◽

Binaural Cues ◽

Repeated Measures Design ◽

Open Set ◽

Test Conditions ◽

Spatial Release ◽

Listening Environments ◽

Release From Masking

Background: Bilateral implant recipients theoretically have access to binaural cues. Research in postlingually deafened adults with cochlear implants (CIs) indicates minimal evidence for true binaural hearing. Congenitally deafened children who experience spatial hearing with bilateral CIs, however, might perceive binaural cues in the CI signal differently. There is limited research examining binaural hearing in children with CIs, and the few published studies are limited by the use of unrealistic speech stimuli and background noise. Purpose: The purposes of this study were to (1) replicate our previous study of binaural hearing in postlingually deafened adults with AzBio sentences in prelingually deafened children with the pediatric version of the AzBio sentences, and (2) replicate previous studies of binaural hearing in children with CIs using more open-set sentences and more realistic background noise (i.e., multitalker babble). Research Design: The study was a within-participant, repeated-measures design. Study Sample: The study sample consisted of 14 children with bilateral CIs with at least 25 mo of listening experience. Data Collection and Analysis: Speech recognition was assessed using sentences presented in multitalker babble at a fixed signal-to-noise ratio. Test conditions included speech at 0° with noise presented at 0° (S 0 N 0 ), on the side of the first CI (90° or 270°) (S 0 N 1stCI ), and on the side of the second CI (S 0 N 2ndCI ) as well as speech presented at 0° with noise presented semidiffusely from eight speakers at 45° intervals. Estimates of summation, head shadow, squelch, and spatial release from masking were calculated. Results: Results of test conditions commonly reported in the literature (S 0 N 0 , S 0 N 1stCI , S 0 N 2ndCI ) are consistent with results from previous research in adults and children with bilateral CIs, showing minimal summation and squelch but typical head shadow and spatial release from masking. However, bilateral benefit over the better CI with speech at 0° was much larger with semidiffuse noise. Conclusions: Congenitally deafened children with CIs have similar availability of binaural hearing cues to postlingually deafened adults with CIs within the same experimental design. It is possible that the use of realistic listening environments, such as semidiffuse background noise as in Experiment II, would reveal greater binaural hearing benefit for bilateral CI recipients. Future research is needed to determine whether (1) availability of binaural cues for children correlates with interaural time and level differences, (2) different listening environments are more sensitive to binaural hearing benefits, and (3) differences exist between pediatric bilateral recipients receiving implants in the same or sequential surgeries.

Download Full-text