title: Perceptual learning of temporally interrupted spectrally degraded speech.
abstract: Normal-hearing (NH) listeners make use of context, speech redundancy and top-down linguistic processes to perceptually restore inaudible or masked portions of speech. Previous research has shown poorer perception and restoration of interrupted speech in CI users and NH listeners tested with acoustic simulations of CIs. Three hypotheses were investigated: (1) training with CI simulations of interrupted sentences can teach listeners to use the high-level restoration mechanisms more effectively, (2) phonemic restoration benefit, an increase in intelligibility of interrupted sentences once its silent gaps are filled with noise, can be induced with training, and (3) perceptual learning of interrupted sentences can be reflected in clinical speech audiometry. To test these hypotheses, NH listeners were trained using periodically interrupted sentences, also spectrally degraded with a noiseband vocoder as CI simulation. Feedback was presented by displaying the sentence text and playing back both the intact and the interrupted CI simulation of the sentence. Training induced no phonemic restoration benefit, and learning was not transferred to speech audiometry measured with words. However, a significant improvement was observed in overall intelligibility of interrupted spectrally degraded sentences, with or without filler noise, suggesting possibly better use of restoration mechanisms as a result of training.
authors.affiliation: Pento Audiology Center Zwolle, Oosterlaan 20, 8011 GC Zwolle, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Michel Ruben
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Benard
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Deniz
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Başkent
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000293:Adolescent; D001302:Audiometry, Speech; D003463:Cues; D030141:Feedback, Psychological; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D008297:Male; D009622:Noise / Q000009:adverse effects; D010470:Perceptual Masking; D010700:Phonetics; D013065:Speech Intelligibility; D013067:Speech Perception; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult