Speech Recognition Abilities of Adults Using Cochlear Implants with FM Systems

Speech recognition was evaluated for ten adults with normal hearing and eight adults with Nucleus cochlear implants (CIs) at several different signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) and with three frequency modulated (FM) system arrangements: desktop, body worn, and miniature direct connect. Participants were asked to repeat Hearing in Noise Test (HINT) sentences presented with speech noise in a classroom setting and percent correct word repetition was determined. Performance was evaluated for both normal-hearing and CI participants with the desktop soundfield system. In addition, speech recognition for the CI participants was evaluated using two FM systems electrically coupled to their speech processors. When comparing the desktop sound field and the No-FM condition, only the listeners with normal hearing made significant improvements in speech recognition in noise. When comparing the performance across the three FM conditions for the CI listeners, the two electrically coupled FM systems resulted in significantly greater improvements in speech recognition in noise relative to the desktop soundfield system.

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Evaluation of Speech Recognition in Noise with Cochlear Implants and Dynamic FM

Journal of the American Academy of Audiology ◽

10.3766/jaaa.20.7.3 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 20 (07) ◽

pp. 409-421 ◽

Cited By ~ 43

Author(s):

Jace Wolfe ◽

Erin C. Schafer ◽

Benjamin Heldner ◽

Hans Mülder ◽

Emily Ward ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Speech Recognition ◽

Cochlear Implants ◽

Noise Level ◽

Repeated Measures ◽

Group Performance ◽

Signal To Noise Ratio ◽

Speech Processor ◽

Repeated Measures Design ◽

Hearing In Noise ◽

Speech Recognition In Noise

Background: Use of personal frequency-modulated (FM) systems significantly improves speech recognition in noise for users of cochlear implants (CIs). Previous studies have shown that the most appropriate gain setting on the FM receiver may vary based on the listening situation and the manufacturer of the CI system. Unlike traditional FM systems with fixed-gain settings, Dynamic FM automatically varies the gain of the FM receiver with changes in the ambient noise level. There are no published reports describing the benefits of Dynamic FM use for CI recipients or how Dynamic FM performance varies as a function of CI manufacturer. Purpose: To evaluate speech recognition of Advanced Bionics Corporation or Cochlear Corporation CI recipients using Dynamic FM vs. a traditional FM system and to examine the effects of Autosensitivity on the FM performance of Cochlear Corporation recipients. Research Design: A two-group repeated-measures design. Participants were assigned to a group according to their type of CI. Study Sample: Twenty-five subjects, ranging in age from 8 to 82 years, met the inclusion criteria for one or more of the experiments. Thirteen subjects used Advanced Bionics Corporation, and 12 used Cochlear Corporation implants. Intervention: Speech recognition was assessed while subjects used traditional, fixed-gain FM systems and Dynamic FM systems. Data Collection and Analysis: In Experiments 1 and 2, speech recognition was evaluated with a traditional, fixed-gain FM system and a Dynamic FM system using the Hearing in Noise Test sentences in quiet and in classroom noise. A repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to evaluate effects of CI manufacturer (Advanced Bionics and Cochlear Corporation), type of FM system (traditional and dynamic), noise level, and use of Autosensitivity for users of Cochlear Corporation implants. Experiment 3 determined the effects of Autosensitivity on speech recognition of Cochlear Corporation implant recipients when listening through the speech processor microphone with the FM system muted. A repeated-measures ANOVA was used to examine the effects of signal-to-noise ratio and Autosensitivity. Results: In Experiment 1, use of Dynamic FM resulted in better speech recognition in noise for Advanced Bionics recipients relative to traditional FM at noise levels of 65, 70, and 75 dB SPL. Advanced Bionics recipients obtained better speech recognition in noise with FM use when compared to Cochlear Corporation recipients. When Autosensitivity was enabled in Experiment 2, the performance of Cochlear Corporation recipients was equivalent to that of Advanced Bionics recipients, and Dynamic FM was significantly better than traditional FM. Results of Experiment 3 indicate that use of Autosensitivity improves speech recognition in noise of signals directed to the speech processor relative to no Autosensitivity. Conclusions: Dynamic FM should be considered for use with persons with CIs to improve speech recognition in noise. At default CI settings, FM performance is better for Advanced Bionics recipients when compared to Cochlear Corporation recipients, but use of Autosensitivity by Cochlear Corporation users results in equivalent group performance.

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The Relationship between Random Gap Detection and Hearing in Noise Test Performances

Journal of the American Academy of Audiology ◽

10.3766/jaaa.18005 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 29 (10) ◽

pp. 948-954 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Paige Heeke ◽

Andrew J. Vermiglio ◽

Emery Bulla ◽

Keerthana Velappan ◽

Xiangming Fang

Keyword(s):

Speech Recognition ◽

Temporal Resolution ◽

Time Interval ◽

Gap Detection ◽

Speech Understanding ◽

Noise Performance ◽

Hearing In Noise ◽

Noise Test ◽

Speech Recognition In Noise ◽

The Relationship

AbstractTemporal acoustic cues are particularly important for speech understanding, and past research has inferred a relationship between temporal resolution and speech recognition in noise ability. A temporal resolution disorder is thought to affect speech understanding abilities because persons would not be able to accurately encode these frequency transitions, creating speech discrimination errors even in the presence of normal pure-tone hearing.The primary purpose was to investigate the relationship between temporal resolution as measured by the Random Gap Detection Test (RGDT) and speech recognition in noise performance as measured by the Hearing in Noise Test (HINT) in adults with normal audiometric thresholds. The second purpose was to examine the relationship between temporal resolution and spatial release from masking.The HINT and RGDT protocols were administered under headphones according to the guidelines specified by the developers. The HINT uses an adaptive protocol to determine the signal-to-noise ratio where the participant recognizes 50% of the sentences. For HINT conditions, the target sentences were presented at 0° and the steady-state speech-shaped noise and a four-talker babble (4TB) was presented at 0°, +90°, or −90° for noise front, noise right, and noise left conditions, respectively. The RGDT is used to evaluate temporal resolution by determining the smallest time interval between two matching stimuli that can be detected by the participant. The RGDT threshold is the shortest time interval where the participant detects a gap. Tonal (0.5, 1, 2, and 4 kHz) and click stimuli random gap subtests were presented at 60 dB HL. Tonal subtests were presented in a random order to minimize presentation order effects.Twenty-one young, native English-speaking participants with normal pure-tone thresholds (≤25 dB HL for 500–4000 Hz) participated in this study. The average age of the participants was 20.2 years (SD = 0.66).Spearman rho correlation coefficients were conducted using SPSS 22 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY) to determine the relationships between HINT and RGDT thresholds and derived measures (spatial advantage and composite scores). Nonparametric testing was used because of the ordinal nature of RGDT data.Moderate negative correlations (p < 0.05) were found between eight RGDT and HINT threshold measures and a moderate positive correlation (p < 0.05) was found between RGDT click thresholds and HINT 4TB spatial advantage. This suggests that as temporal resolution abilities worsened, speech recognition in noise performance improved. These correlations were not statistically significant after the p value reflected the Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons.The results of the present study imply that the RGDT and HINT use different temporal processes. Performance on the RGDT cannot be predicted from HINT thresholds or vice versa.

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List Equivalency of the AzBio Sentence Test in Noise for Listeners with Normal-Hearing Sensitivity or Cochlear Implants

Journal of the American Academy of Audiology ◽

10.3766/jaaa.23.7.2 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 23 (07) ◽

pp. 501-509 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Erin C. Schafer ◽

Jody Pogue ◽

Tyler Milrany

Keyword(s):

Speech Recognition ◽

Cochlear Implants ◽

Repeated Measures ◽

Normative Data ◽

Normal Hearing ◽

Published Data ◽

Repeated Measures Design ◽

Published Evidence ◽

Starting Point ◽

Speech Recognition In Noise

Background: Speech recognition abilities of adults and children using cochlear implants (CIs) are significantly degraded in the presence of background noise, making this an important area of study and assessment by CI manufacturers, researchers, and audiologists. However, at this time there are a limited number of fixed-intensity sentence recognition tests available that also have multiple, equally intelligible lists in noise. One measure of speech recognition, the AzBio Sentence Test, provides 10-talker babble on the commercially available compact disc; however, there is no published evidence to support equivalency of the 15-sentence lists in noise for listeners with normal hearing (NH) or CIs. Furthermore, there is limited or no published data on the reliability, validity, and normative data for this test in noise for listeners with CIs or NH. Purpose: The primary goals of this study were to examine the equivalency of the AzBio Sentence Test lists at two signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) in participants with NH and at one SNR for participants with CIs. Analyses were also conducted to establish the reliability, validity, and preliminary normative data for the AzBio Sentence Test for listeners with NH and CIs. Research Design: A cross-sectional, repeated measures design was used to assess speech recognition in noise for participants with NH or CIs. Study Sample: The sample included 14 adults with NH and 12 adults or adolescents with Cochlear Freedom CI sound processors. Participants were recruited from the University of North Texas clinic population or from local CI centers. Data Collection and Analysis: Speech recognition was assessed using the 15 lists of the AzBio Sentence Test and the 10-talker babble. With the intensity of the sentences fixed at 73 dB SPL, listeners with NH were tested at 0 and −3 dB SNRs, and participants with CIs were tested at a +10 dB SNR. Repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to analyze the data. Results: The primary analyses revealed significant differences in performance across the 15 lists on the AzBio Sentence Test for listeners with NH and CIs. However, a follow-up analysis revealed no significant differences in performance across 10 of the 15 lists. Using the 10, equally-intelligible lists, a comparison of speech recognition performance across the two groups suggested similar performance between NH participants at a −3 dB SNR and the CI users at a +10 SNR. Several additional analyses were conducted to support the reliability and validity of the 10 equally intelligible AzBio sentence lists in noise, and preliminary normative data were provided. Conclusions: Ten lists of the commercial version of the AzBio Sentence Test may be used as a reliable and valid measure of speech recognition in noise in listeners with NH or CIs. The equivalent lists may be used for a variety of purposes including audiological evaluations, determination of CI candidacy, hearing aid and CI programming considerations, research, and recommendations for hearing assistive technology. In addition, the preliminary normative data provided in this study establishes a starting point for the creation of comprehensive normative data for the AzBio Sentence Test.

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A Comparison of Two Word-Recognition Tasks in Multitalker Babble: Speech Recognition in Noise Test (SPRINT) and Words-in-Noise Test (WIN)

Journal of the American Academy of Audiology ◽

10.3766/jaaa.19.7.4 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 19 (07) ◽

pp. 548-556 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Richard H. Wilson ◽

Wendy B. Cates

Keyword(s):

Hearing Loss ◽

Speech Recognition ◽

Data Collection ◽

Word Recognition ◽

Concurrent Validity ◽

Pure Tone ◽

Normal Hearing ◽

Pure Tone Average ◽

Noise Test ◽

Speech Recognition In Noise

Background: The Speech Recognition in Noise Test (SPRINT) is a word-recognition instrument that presents the 200 Northwestern University Auditory Test No. 6 (NU-6) words binaurally at 50 dB HL in a multitalker babble at a 9 dB signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) (Cord et al, 1992). The SPRINT was developed by and used by the Army as a more valid predictor of communication abilities (than pure-tone thresholds or word-recognition in quiet) for issues involving fitness for duty from a hearing perspective of Army personnel. The Words-in-Noise test (WIN) is a slightly different word-recognition task in a fixed level multitalker babble with 10 NU-6 words presented at each of 7 S/N from 24 to 0 dB S/N in 4 dB decrements (Wilson, 2003; Wilson and McArdle, 2007). For the two instruments, both the babble and the speakers of the words are different. The SPRINT uses all 200 NU-6 words, whereas the WIN uses a maximum of 70 words. Purpose: The purpose was to compare recognition performances by 24 young listeners with normal hearing and 48 older listeners with sensorineural hearing on the SPRINT and WIN protocols. Research Design: A quasi-experimental, mixed model design was used. Study Sample: The 24 young listeners with normal hearing (19 to 29 years, mean = 23.3 years) were from the local university and had normal hearing (≤20 dB HL; American National Standards Institute, 2004) at the 250–8000 Hz octave intervals. The 48 older listeners with sensorineural hearing loss (60 to 82 years, mean = 69.9 years) had the following inclusion criteria: (1) a threshold at 500 Hz between 15 and 30 dB HL, (2) a threshold at 1000 Hz between 20 and 40 dB HL, (3) a three-frequency pure-tone average (500, 1000, and 2000 Hz) of ≤40 dB HL, (4) word-recognition scores in quiet ≥40%, and (5) no history of middle ear or retrocochlear pathology as determined by an audiologic evaluation. Data Collection and Analysis: The speech materials were presented bilaterally in the following order: (1) the SPRINT at 50 dB HL, (2) two half lists of NU-6 words in quiet at 60 dB HL and 80 dB HL, and (3) the two 35-word lists of the WIN materials with the multitalker babble fixed at 60 dB HL. Data collection occurred during a 40–60 minute session. Recognition performances on each stimulus word were analyzed. Results: The listeners with normal hearing obtained 92.5% correct on the SPRINT with a 50% point on the WIN of 2.7 dB S/N. The listeners with hearing loss obtained 65.3% correct on the SPRINT and a WIN 50% point at 12.0 dB S/N. The SPRINT and WIN were significantly correlated (r = −0.81, p < .01), indicating that the SPRINT had good concurrent validity. The high-frequency, pure-tone average (1000, 2000, 4000 Hz) had higher correlations with the SPRINT, WIN, and NU-6 in quiet than did the traditional three-frequency pure-tone average (500, 1000, 2000 Hz). Conclusions: Graphically and numerically the SPRINT and WIN were highly related, which is indicative of good concurrent validity of the SPRINT.

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Perception of Speech Produced by Native and Nonnative Talkers by Listeners with Normal Hearing and Listeners with Cochlear Implants

Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research ◽

10.1044/2014_jslhr-h-12-0404 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 57 (2) ◽

pp. 532-554 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Caili Ji ◽

John J. Galvin ◽

Yi-ping Chang ◽

Anting Xu ◽

Qian-Jie Fu

Keyword(s):

Cochlear Implants ◽

The United States ◽

Normal Hearing ◽

Speech Understanding ◽

Native Culture ◽

Sentence Recognition ◽

Speech Understanding In Noise ◽

Hearing In Noise ◽

Noise Test ◽

Intelligibility Ratings

Purpose The aim of this study was to evaluate the understanding of English sentences produced by native (English) and nonnative (Spanish) talkers by listeners with normal hearing (NH) and listeners with cochlear implants (CIs). Method Sentence recognition in noise was measured in adult subjects with CIs and subjects with NH, all of whom were native talkers of American English. Test sentences were from the Hearing in Noise Test (HINT) database and were produced in English by four native and eight nonnative talkers. Subjects also rated the intelligibility and accent for each talker. Results The speech recognition thresholds in noise of subjects with CIs and subjects with NH were 4.23 dB and 1.32 dB poorer with nonnative talkers than with native talkers, respectively. Performance was significantly correlated with talker intelligibility and accent ratings for subjects with CIs but only correlated with talker intelligibility ratings for subjects with NH. For all subjects, performance with individual nonnative talkers was significantly correlated with talkers' number of years of residence in the United States. Conclusion CI users exhibited a larger deficit in speech understanding with nonnative talkers than did subjects with NH, relative to native talkers. Nonnative talkers' experience with native culture contributed strongly to speech understanding in noise, intelligibility ratings, and accent ratings of both listeners with NH and listeners with CIs.

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A Comparison Between the Korean Digits-in-Noise Test and the Korean Speech Perception-in-Noise Test in Normal-Hearing and Hearing-Impaired Listeners

Journal of Audiology & Otology ◽

10.7874/jao.2021.00045 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 25 (4) ◽

pp. 171-177

Author(s):

Subin Kim ◽

Sungwha You ◽

Myoung Eun Sohn ◽

Woojae Han ◽

Jae-Hyun Seo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Speech Perception ◽

Pearson Correlation ◽

Normal Hearing ◽

Hearing Impaired ◽

Diagnostic Efficacy ◽

Speech Perception In Noise ◽

Percent Correct ◽

Hearing In Noise ◽

Noise Masker ◽

Noise Test

Background and Objectives: The purpose of the present study was to validate the performance and diagnostic efficacy of the Korean digits-in-noise (K-DIN) test in comparison to the Korean speech perception-in-noise (K-SPIN) test, which is the representative speech-in-noise test in clinical practice.Subjects and Methods: Twenty-seven subjects (15 normal-hearing and 12 hearing-impaired listeners) participated. The recorded Korean 0-9 digits were used to form quasirandom digit triplets; 50 target digit triplets were presented at the most comfortable level of each subject while presenting speech-shaped background noise at various levels of signal-to-noise ratios (-12.5, -10, -5, or +5 dB). Subjects were then instructed to listen to both target and noise masker unilaterally and bilaterally through a headphone. K-SPIN test was also conducted using the same procedure as the K-DIN. After calculating their percent correct responses, K-DIN and K-SPIN results were compared using a Pearson-correlation test.Results: Results showed a statistically significant correlation between K-DIN and K-SPIN in all hearing conditions (left: r=0.814, p<0.001; right: r=0.788, p<0.001; bilateral: r=0.727, p<0.001). Moreover, the K-DIN test achieved better testing efficacy, shorter average listening time (5 min vs. 30 min), and easier performance of task according to participants’ qualitative reports than the K-SPIN test.Conclusions: In this study, the Korean version of digit triplet test was validated in both normal-hearing and hearing-impaired listeners. The findings suggest that the K-DIN test can be used as a simple and time-efficient hearing-in-noise test in audiology clinics in Korea.

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Words in noise audiometry in adult subjects with normal hearing

Oto Rhino Laryngologica Indonesiana ◽

10.32637/orli.v50i1.332 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 50 (1) ◽

pp. 9

Author(s):

Widayat Alviandi ◽

Jenny Bashiruddin ◽

Brastho Bramantyo ◽

Farisa Rizky

Keyword(s):

Speech Recognition ◽

Pure Tone ◽

Pure Tone Audiometry ◽

Normal Hearing ◽

Recognition Threshold ◽

Speech Audiometry ◽

Discrimination Score ◽

Speech Discrimination ◽

Speech Discrimination Score ◽

Noise Test

Background: Patients with hearing disturbance will generally undergo pure tone audiometry andspeech audiometry in a quiet room, but those examinations cannot evaluate the ability to understand speech in daily environment with a noisy background. Words in noise test will provide valuable informationregarding patient’s hearing problem in noise. Purpose: To evaluate the hearing threshold using wordsin noise test in adults with normal hearing. Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted in CiptoMangunkusumo Hospital from January to April 2017. All subjects who fulfilled the inclusion and exclusioncriteria underwent pure tone audiometry, speech audiometry, and words in noise test. Results: A total of71 individuals with normal hearing were recruited for this study. Words in noise test showed the medianvalue of 67 dB and 100 dB for Speech Recognition Threshold (SRT) 50% and Speech DiscriminationScore (SDS) 100%, respectively. The SRT 50% and SDS 100% were significantly higher in the age group40–60 years compared to the age group 18–39 years. There was also a statistically significant differencebetween males and females at SRT 50% assessed by words in noise audiometry. Conclusion: Wordsin noise test showed a statistically significant difference in SRT 50% and SDS 100% between two agegroups, but no difference was found between genders. The result of this study can be used as a referencefor SRT and SDS values of speech audiometry test in noise.Keywords: words in noise, speech audiometry, speech recognition threshold, speech discrimination score ABSTRAKLatar belakang: Pasien dengan gangguan pendengaran umumnya menjalani pemeriksaanaudiometri nada murni dan audiometri tutur di ruangan yang sunyi, tetapi pemeriksaan ini tidakdapat menggambarkan kemampuan pemahaman wicara di lingkungan sehari-hari yang ramai. Testutur dalam bising dapat mengevaluasi masalah pendengaran pasien dalam keadaan bising. Tujuan:Untuk mengevaluasi ambang pendengaran menggunakan tes tutur dalam bising pada orang dewasadengan pendengaran normal. Metode: Penelitian potong lintang ini dilakukan di Rumah Sakit CiptoMangunkusumo dari Januari hingga April 2017. Semua subjek yang memenuhi kriteria inklusi daneksklusi menjalani pemeriksaan audiometri nada murni, audiometri tutur, dan tes tutur dalam bising.Hasil: Sebanyak 71 orang dengan pendengaran normal diikutsertakan dalam penelitian ini. Tes tuturdalam bising menunjukkan nilai median masing-masing 67 dB dan 100 dB pada Speech RecognitionThreshold (SRT) 50% dan Speech Discrimination Score (SDS) 100%. SRT 50% dan SDS 100% secarasignifikan lebih tinggi pada kelompok usia 40–60 tahun dibandingkan dengan kelompok usia 18–39 tahun. Hasil pemeriksaan tes tutur dalam bising menunjukkan perbedaan yang signifikan antara laki-laki dan wanita pada nilai SRT 50%. Kesimpulan: Tes tutur dalam bising menunjukkan perbedaan yang bermakna secara statistik pada SRT 50% dan SDS 100% antara dua kelompok umur, tetapi tidak ada perbedaan signifikan diantara jenis kelamin. Hasil penelitian ini dapat digunakan sebagai acuan untuk nilai SRT dan SDS pada pemeriksaan audiometri tutur dalam bising.

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