Hearing aid low frequency cut: effect on Mandarin tone and vowel perception in normal-hearing listeners.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the impact of low frequency cuts (LCs) in hearing aid frequency response on Mandarin tone and vowel perception at varying signal-to-noise ratios (S/N ratios).


METHODS
Four LC conditions were reviewed, using a programmable, behind-the-ear hearing aid: no LC (NoLC), a 6-dB/octave LC (LC6), a 12-dB/octave LC (LC12), and an 18-dB/octave LC (LC18). Five S/N ratios for speech to white noise were selected: +10 dB, +5 dB, 0 dB, -5 dB and -10 dB. Speech and noise stimuli were presented to 25 normal-hearing, native Mandarin-speaking listeners monaurally.


RESULTS
Tone and vowel recognition scores were high for subjects in all experimental conditions except for LC18 and S/N -10 dB. The LCs had minimal impact on tone perception in the positive S/N and S/N 0 conditions. Significant differences for tone recognition were found between the NoLC and LC6, and the LC6 and LC18 conditions with negative S/N ratios. Significant differences in vowel recognition were observed between the LC12 and LC18 settings, at all S/N conditions.


CONCLUSIONS
LC hearing aid settings may negatively impact on vowel recognition, and may adversely affect Mandarin tone recognition in adverse noise conditions, in normal-hearing listeners.
Zhang
Jianxing
J
Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences, Faculty of Education, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
McPherson
Bradley
B
D000162:Acoustics; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002681:China; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D006310:Hearing Aids; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009622:Noise; D046709:Pattern Recognition, Physiological; D010897:Pitch Discrimination; D010898:Pitch Perception / Q000502:physiology; D012016:Reference Values; D013063:Speech Discrimination Tests; D013067:Speech Perception / Q000502:physiology