title: The interpretation of speech reception threshold data in normal-hearing and hearing-impaired listeners: II. Fluctuating noise.
abstract: Following previous work [Smits and Festen. (2011). J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 130, 2987-2998] involving the interpretation of speech reception threshold (SRT) data in steady-state noise, the present study considers fluctuating noise. Whereas the SIIsteady function [i.e., the speech intelligibility index (SII) against SNR in steady-state noise] can be approximated by a simple linear function going from 0 to 1 between SNR = -15 dB to +15 dB, the SIIfluc function is a function over a broader range than 30 dB and its maximum lies at a SNR higher than +15 dB. The difference in shape between the SIIsteady and SIIfluc functions has several implications. It predicts a reduction in fluctuating masker benefit (FMB), or even a negative FMB, for higher SNRs for normal-hearing listeners. Experimental data confirm this prediction. Much of the reduction in FMB for hearing-impaired listeners may be attributed to the higher SRTs in steady-state noise for these listeners.
authors: Department of Otolaryngology/Audiology and EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. c.smits@vumc.nl
authors: Cas
authors: C
authors: Smits
authors: Joost M
authors: JM
authors: Festen
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D001309:Auditory Threshold; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009622:Noise / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010470:Perceptual Masking; D019986:Persons with Hearing Disabilities / Q000523:psychology*; D021641:Recognition, Psychology; D059629:Signal-To-Noise Ratio; D013065:Speech Intelligibility; D013067:Speech Perception; D013069:Speech Reception Threshold Test; D055815:Young Adult