title: Prediction of consonant recognition in quiet for listeners with normal and impaired hearing using an auditory model.
abstract: Consonant recognition was assessed in normal-hearing (NH) and hearing-impaired (HI) listeners in quiet as a function of speech level using a nonsense logatome test. Average recognition scores were analyzed and compared to recognition scores of a speech recognition model. In contrast to commonly used spectral speech recognition models operating on long-term spectra, a "microscopic" model operating in the time domain was used. Variations of the model (accounting for hearing impairment) and different model parameters (reflecting cochlear compression) were tested. Using these model variations this study examined whether speech recognition performance in quiet is affected by changes in cochlear compression, namely, a linearization, which is often observed in HI listeners. Consonant recognition scores for HI listeners were poorer than for NH listeners. The model accurately predicted the speech reception thresholds of the NH and most HI listeners. A partial linearization of the cochlear compression in the auditory model, while keeping audibility constant, produced higher recognition scores and improved the prediction accuracy. However, including listener-specific information about the exact form of the cochlear compression did not improve the prediction further.
authors.affiliation: Cluster of Excellence "Hearing4all," Department für Medizinische Physik und Akustik, Carl-von-Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Carl-von Ossietzky-Strasse 9-11, D-26111 Oldenburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Jürgens
authors.affiliation: Cluster of Excellence "Hearing4all," Department für Medizinische Physik und Akustik, Carl-von-Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Carl-von Ossietzky-Strasse 9-11, D-26111 Oldenburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Stephan D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Ewert
authors.affiliation: Cluster of Excellence "Hearing4all," Department für Medizinische Physik und Akustik, Carl-von-Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Carl-von Ossietzky-Strasse 9-11, D-26111 Oldenburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Birger
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kollmeier
authors.affiliation: Cluster of Excellence "Hearing4all," Department für Medizinische Physik und Akustik, Carl-von-Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Carl-von Ossietzky-Strasse 9-11, D-26111 Oldenburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Brand
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001302:Audiometry, Speech; D001306:Auditory Pathways / Q000503:physiopathology; D001309:Auditory Threshold; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003051:Cochlea / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D017711:Nonlinear Dynamics; D019986:Persons with Hearing Disabilities / Q000523:psychology*; D021641:Recognition, Psychology; D013061:Speech Acoustics; D013065:Speech Intelligibility; D013067:Speech Perception; D014833:Voice Quality; D055815:Young Adult