title: Effects of signal processing on intelligibility of speech in noise for persons with sensorineural hearing loss.
abstract: A person with sensorineural hearing loss accompanied by recruitment has difficulty in understanding amplified speech, especially when speech is in the presence o competition. Two groups of subjects with sensorineural hearing loss with recruitment were tested at +6 and at O dB signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio at preferred levels for unprocessed speech and for speech processed through a two-band compression/equalization of circuit. In addition, unprocessed key word identification scores were compared to those from use of a hearing aid and of a one-band compression/equalization circuit. Processing a two-band compression/equalization circuit improved key word identification scores dramatically for both groups of subjects. The range of improvement for both groups was from 6 to 74%, mean 37.4%, for the S/N ratio of O dB. Subjects who achieved higher scores had high scores for unprocessed tests and had less recruitment present throughout the frequency range. Scores from one-band compression/equalization were compared to those from unprocessed scores; there were no significant differences in key word identification. Design characteristics and an excellent rationale for using two-band compression/equalization are generated by the data of this study.
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D000328:Adult; D001307:Auditory Perception; D003051:Cochlea / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003638:Deafness / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological; D006310:Hearing Aids / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation; D006801:Humans; D007759:Labyrinth Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010470:Perceptual Masking; D011999:Recruitment, Neurophysiological; D013060:Speech