Auditory steady-state responses as neural correlates of loudness growth.
The aim of this study was to find an objective estimate of individual, complete loudness growth functions based on auditory steady-state responses. Both normal-hearing and hearing-impaired listeners were involved in two behavioral loudness growth tasks and one EEG recording session. Behavioral loudness growth was measured with Absolute Magnitude Estimation and a Graphic Rating Scale with loudness categories. Stimuli were sinusoidally amplitude-modulated sinusoids with carrier frequencies of either 500 Hz or 2000 Hz, a modulation frequency of 40 Hz, a duration of 1 s, and presented at intensities encompassing the participants' dynamic ranges. Auditory steady-state responses were evoked by the same stimuli using durations of at least 5 min. Results showed that there was a good correspondence between the relative growth of the auditory steady-state response amplitudes and the behavioral loudness growth responses for each participant of both groups of listeners. This demonstrates the potential for a more individual, objective, and automatic fitting of hearing aids in future clinical practice.
KU Leuven, Department of Neurosciences, ExpORL, Belgium. Electronic address: maaike.vaneeckhoutte@med.kuleuven.be.
Maaike
M
Van Eeckhoutte
KU Leuven, Department of Neurosciences, ExpORL, Belgium. Electronic address: jan.wouters@med.kuleuven.be.
Jan
J
Wouters
KU Leuven, Department of Neurosciences, ExpORL, Belgium. Electronic address: tom.francart@med.kuleuven.be.
Tom
T
Francart
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001307:Auditory Perception / Q000502:physiology; D001309:Auditory Threshold / Q000502:physiology; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005072:Evoked Potentials, Auditory; D016057:Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem; D005260:Female; D006310:Hearing Aids; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008144:Loudness Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011571:Psychoacoustics; D055815:Young Adult
Auditory steady-state responses; Fitting of hearing aids; Loudness growth functions; Objective measure