title: Quality ratings of frequency-compressed speech by participants with extensive high-frequency dead regions in the cochlea.
abstract: The objective was to assess the degradation of speech sound quality produced by frequency compression for listeners with extensive high-frequency dead regions (DRs).
  
  
  
  Quality ratings were obtained using values of the starting frequency (Sf) of the frequency compression both below and above the estimated edge frequency, fe, of each DR. Thus, the value of Sf often fell below the lowest value currently used in clinical practice. Several compression ratios were used for each value of Sf. Stimuli were sentences processed via a prototype hearing aid based on Phonak Exélia Art P.
  
  
  
  Five participants (eight ears) with extensive high-frequency DRs were tested.
  
  
  
  Reductions of sound-quality produced by frequency compression were small to moderate. Ratings decreased significantly with decreasing Sf and increasing CR. The mean ratings were lowest for the lowest Sf and highest CR. Ratings varied across participants, with one participant rating frequency compression lower than no frequency compression even when Sf was above fe.
  
  
  
  Frequency compression degraded sound quality somewhat for this small group of participants with extensive high-frequency DRs. The degradation was greater for lower values of Sf relative to fe, and for greater values of CR. Results varied across participants.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Experimental Psychology , University of Cambridge , Cambridge , UK.
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salorio-Corbetto
authors.affiliation: a Department of Experimental Psychology , University of Cambridge , Cambridge , UK.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Baer
authors.affiliation: a Department of Experimental Psychology , University of Cambridge , Cambridge , UK.
authors.forename: Brian C J
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Moore
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000368:Aged; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D001309:Auditory Threshold; D003051:Cochlea / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012048:Correction of Hearing Impairment / Q000295:instrumentation*; D005260:Female; D006309:Hearing; D006310:Hearing Aids; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019986:Persons with Hearing Disabilities / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D013065:Speech Intelligibility; D013067:Speech Perception; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Frequency compression; dead regions; hearing aids; sound quality