The role of silent intervals for sentence intelligibility in fluctuating noise in hearing-impaired listeners.
Fluctuating interfering noises are highly suitable for speech audiometry because of the large inter-individual variability in intelligibility results. This study explores the maximum duration of silent intervals in the masker as an important factor underlying sentence intelligibility in fluctuating noise. Three versions of speech-simulating fluctuating interfering noises based on the icra noises (Dreschler et al, 2001) were explored: The original noise which simulates one interfering speaker and contains pause durations up to two seconds, as well as two modified versions with pause durations limited to 250 ms and 62.5 ms, respectively. In addition, a stationary speech-shaped noise was used. Test-retest reliability as well as speech reception threshold (SRT) and speech intelligibility function slope were determined with hearing-impaired subjects. All fluctuating noises differentiated very well between subjects. Partial rank correlation analysis showed that SRTs in fluctuating noise with longest maximum pause durations mostly depended on SRTs in quiet. SRTs in fluctuating noises with smaller maximum pause durations correlated both with SRTs in quiet and in stationary noise.
Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Medizinische Physik, Fakultät V/Institut für Physik, Oldenburg, Germany. k.wagener@hoerzentrum-oldenburg.de
Kirsten Carola
KC
Wagener
Thomas
T
Brand
Birger
B
Kollmeier
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D005260:Female; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009622:Noise / Q000009:adverse effects*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013063:Speech Discrimination Tests; D013067:Speech Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors