Testing a computational model for aural detection of aircraft in ambient noise.

Computational models are used to predict the performance of human listeners for carefully specified signal and noise conditions. However, there may be substantial discrepancies between the conditions under which listeners are tested and those used for model predictions. Thus, models may predict better performance than exhibited by the listeners, or they may "fail" to capture the ability of the listener to respond to subtle stimulus conditions.

Hearing Health Care Utilization Following Automated Hearing Screening.

Background: The study examined follow-up rates for pursuing hearing health care (HHC) 6 to 8 months after participants self-administered one of three hearing screening methods: an automated method for testing of auditory sensitivity (AMTAS), a four-frequency pure-tone screener (FFS), or a digits-in-noise test (DIN), with and without the presentation of a 2-minute educational video about hearing.

Purpose: The study aims to determine if the type of self-administered hearing screening method (with or without an educational video) affects HHC follow-up rates.

Research Design: The study is a randomized controlled trial of three automated hearing screening methods, plus control group, with and without an educational video.

Enhanced multi-channel model for auditory spectrotemporal integration.

In psychoacoustics, a multi-channel model has traditionally been used to describe detection improvement for multicomponent signals. This model commonly postulates that energy or information within either the frequency or time domain is transformed into a probabilistic decision variable across the auditory channels, and that their weighted linear summation determines optimum detection performance when compared to a critical value such as a decision criterion. In this study, representative integration-based channel models, specifically focused on signal-processing properties of the auditory periphery are reviewed (e.

Noise-induced changes in cochlear compression in the rat as indexed by forward masking of the auditory brainstem response.

The current study was undertaken to investigate changes in forward masking patterns using on-frequency and off-frequency maskers of 7 and 10 kHz probes in the Sprague-Dawley rat. Off-frequency forward masking growth functions have been shown in humans to be non-linear, while on-frequency functions behave linearly. The non-linear nature of the off-frequency functions is attributable to active processing from the outer hair cells, and was therefore expected to be sensitive to noise-induced cochlear damage.

Evaluation of a telephone speech-enhancement algorithm among older adults with hearing loss.

Purpose: In this study, the authors evaluated a processing algorithm aimed at improving speech recognition via the telephone among older adults with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL).

Method: Thirty older adults with SNHL participated. Speech recognition was measured in quiet using the Modified Rhyme Test (MRT; Kreul et al.

Masking of low-frequency signals by high-frequency, high-level narrow bands of noise.

Low-frequency masking by intense high-frequency noise bands, referred to as remote masking (RM), was the first evidence to challenge energy-detection models of signal detection. Its underlying mechanisms remain unknown. RM was measured in five normal-hearing young-adults at 250, 350, 500, and 700 Hz using equal-power, spectrally matched random-phase noise (RPN) and low-noise noise (LNN) narrowband maskers.

Spectral and temporal integration of brief tones.

Both spectral and temporal integration of tones have been explored in detail, but integration of tones varying across both dimensions has received little attention. This study explores temporal integration of tone pulses that vary over a range of frequencies. Baseline thresholds were obtained for both spectral and temporal integration with the same signals and compared with prior research.

Spectral integration of dynamic cues in the perception of syllable-initial stops.

The present experiments examine the potential role of auditory spectral integration and spectral center of gravity (COG) effects in the perception of initial formant transitions in the syllables [da]-[ga] and [t(h)a]-[k(h)a]. Of interest is whether the place distinction for stops in these syllables can be cued by a 'virtual F3 transition' in which the percept of a frequency transition is produced by a dynamically changing COG. Listeners perceived the virtual F3 transitions comparably with actual F3 transitions although the former were less salient a cue.

Bandwidth of spectral resolution for two-formant synthetic vowels and two-tone complex signals.

Spectral integration refers to the summation of activity beyond the bandwidth of the peripheral auditory filter. Several experimental lines have sought to determine the bandwidth of this "supracritical" band phenomenon. This paper reports on two experiments which tested the limit on spectral integration in the same listeners.

Background noise levels and reverberation times in unoccupied classrooms: predictions and measurements.

Classrooms are often filled with deterrents that hamper a child's ability to listen and learn. It is evident that the acoustical environment in classrooms can be one such deterrent. Excessive background noise and reverberation can affect the achievement and educational performance of children with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) and children with normal hearing sensitivity who have other auditory learning difficulties, as well as elementary school children with no verbal or hearing disabilities.

An electrophysiological measure of temporal resolution in normal subjects using frequency modulated signals.

This investigation was conducted to determine whether an exogenous event-related potential called the mismatch negativity (MMN) would change systematically in response to frequency-modulated signals with varying temporal properties. Both N1 and P2 waveforms were recorded for 50-ms frequency-modulated signals from normal hearing listeners. The standard stimuli for this investigation were continuous sweep tones with center frequencies of 1000 Hz that traversed a frequency range of 200 Hz in a single step.