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The Journal of the Acoustical Society... Jan 2023The detectability of target amplitude modulation (AM) can be reduced by masker AM in the same carrier-frequency region. It can be reduced even further, however, if the...
The detectability of target amplitude modulation (AM) can be reduced by masker AM in the same carrier-frequency region. It can be reduced even further, however, if the masker-AM rate is uncertain [Conroy and Kidd, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 149, 3665-3673 (2021)]. This study examined the effectiveness of contextual cues in reducing this latter, uncertainty-related effect (modulation informational masking). Observers were tasked with detecting fixed-rate target sinusoidal amplitude modulation (SAM) in the presence of masker SAM applied simultaneously to the same broadband-noise carrier. A single-interval, two-alternative forced-choice detection procedure was used to measure sensitivity for the target SAM; masker-AM-rate uncertainty was created by randomly selecting the AM rate of the masker SAM on each trial. Relative to an uncued condition, a pretrial cue to the masker SAM significantly improved sensitivity for the target SAM; a cue to the target SAM, however, did not. The delay between the cue-interval offset and trial-interval onset did not affect the size of the masker-cue benefit, suggesting that adaptation of the masker SAM was not responsible. A simple model of within-AM-channel masking captured important trends in the psychophysical data, suggesting that reduced masker-AM-rate uncertainty may have played a relatively minor role in the masker-cue benefit.
Topics: Auditory Threshold; Perceptual Masking; Cues; Uncertainty
PubMed: 36732267
DOI: 10.1121/10.0016867 -
PloS One 2023Pathophysiological alterations in the cochlea and functional tests of the auditory pathway support that in diabetes both vasculopathy and neural changes could be...
Pathophysiological alterations in the cochlea and functional tests of the auditory pathway support that in diabetes both vasculopathy and neural changes could be present. The aim of our research was to study the differential effect of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) on two different age groups. Audiological investigation was carried out in 42 patients and 25 controls at the same age groups. Investigation of the conductive and sensorineural part of the hearing system by pure tone audiometry, distortion product otoacoustic emission measurement and acoustically evoked brainstem response registration were evaluated. Among the 19-39-year-old people the incidence of hearing impairment was not different in the diabetes and control groups. Among the 40-60-year-old people hearing impairment was more common in the diabetes group (75%) than in the control group (15,4%). Among patients with type 1 diabetes, the mean threshold values were higher in both age groups at all frequencies although significant difference was in 19-39 years old group: 500-4000Hz right ear, 4000Hz left ear, in 40-60 years old group: 4000-8000 Hz both ears. In the 19-39 years old diabetes group only at 8000 Hertz on the left side was a significant (p<0,05) difference in otoacoustic emissions. In the 40-60 years old diabetes group significantly less otoacoustic emissions at 8000 Hz on the right side (p<0,01) and at 4000-6000-8000 Hertz on the left side, (p<0,05, p<0,01, p<0,05 respectively) was present compared to the control group. According to ABR (auditory brainstem response) latencies and wave morphologies, a possible retrocochlear lesion arose in 15% of the 19-39 years old and 25% of the 40-60 years old diabetes group. According to our results, T1DM affects negatively the cochlear function and the neural part of the hearing system. The alterations are more and more detectable with aging.
Topics: Humans; Young Adult; Adult; Middle Aged; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1; Cochlea; Hearing; Otoacoustic Emissions, Spontaneous; Hearing Loss; Audiometry, Pure-Tone; Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem; Auditory Threshold
PubMed: 37205672
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0285740 -
Hearing Research Jan 2024Auditory complaints are frequently reported by individuals with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) yet remain difficult to detect in the absence of clinically...
Auditory complaints are frequently reported by individuals with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) yet remain difficult to detect in the absence of clinically significant hearing loss. This highlights a growing need to identify sensitive indices of auditory-related mTBI pathophysiology beyond pure-tone thresholds for improved hearing healthcare diagnosis and treatment. Given the heterogeneity of mTBI etiology and the diverse peripheral and central processes required for normal auditory function, the present study sought to determine the audiologic assessments sensitive to mTBI pathophysiology at the group level using a well-rounded test battery of both peripheral and central auditory system function. This test battery included pure-tone detection thresholds, word understanding in quiet, sentence understanding in noise, distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs), middle-ear muscle reflexes (MEMRs), and auditory evoked potentials (AEPs), including auditory brainstem responses (ABRs), middle latency responses (MLRs), and late latency responses (LLRs). Each participant also received magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Compared to the control group, we found that individuals with mTBI had reduced DPOAE amplitudes that revealed a compound effect of age, elevated MEMR thresholds for an ipsilateral broadband noise elicitor, longer ABR Wave I latencies for click and 4 kHz tone burst elicitors, longer ABR Wave III latencies for 4 kHz tone bursts, larger MLR Na and Nb amplitudes, smaller MLR Pb amplitudes, longer MLR Pa latencies, and smaller LLR N1 amplitudes for older individuals with mTBI. Further, mTBI individuals with combined hearing difficulty and noise sensitivity had a greater number of deficits on thalamic and cortical AEP measures compared to those with only one/no self-reported auditory symptoms. This finding was corroborated with MRI, which revealed significant structural differences in the auditory cortical areas of mTBI participants who reported combined hearing difficulty and noise sensitivity, including an enlargement of left transverse temporal gyrus (TTG) and bilateral planum polare (PP). These findings highlight the need for continued investigations toward identifying individualized audiologic assessments and treatments that are sensitive to mTBI pathophysiology.
Topics: Humans; Brain Concussion; Auditory Threshold; Hearing; Noise; Evoked Potentials, Auditory; Hearing Loss; Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem; Otoacoustic Emissions, Spontaneous
PubMed: 38086151
DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2023.108928 -
Noise & Health 2023The objective of the current study was to describe outcomes on physiological and perceptual measures of auditory function in human listeners with and without a history...
PURPOSE
The objective of the current study was to describe outcomes on physiological and perceptual measures of auditory function in human listeners with and without a history of recreational firearm noise exposure related to hunting.
DESIGN
This study assessed the effects of hunting-related recreational firearm noise exposure on audiometric thresholds, oto-acoustic emissions (OAEs), brainstem neural representation of fundamental frequency (F0) in frequency following responses (FFRs), tonal middle-ear muscle reflex (MEMR) thresholds, and behavioral tests of auditory processing in 20 young adults with normal hearing sensitivity.
RESULTS
Performance on both physiological (FFR, MEMR) and perceptual (behavioral auditory processing tests) measures of auditory function were largely similar across participants, regardless of hunting-related recreational noise exposure. On both behavioral and neural measures including different listening conditions, performance degraded as difficulty of listening condition increased for both nonhunter and hunter participants. A right-ear advantage was observed in tests of dichotic listening for both nonhunter and hunter participants.
CONCLUSION
The null results in the current study could reflect an absence of cochlear synaptopathy in the participating cohort, variability related to participant characteristics and/or test protocols, or an insensitivity of the selected physiological and behavioral auditory measures to noise-induced synaptopathy.
Topics: Humans; Young Adult; Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced; Hunting; Acoustic Stimulation; Auditory Threshold; Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem; Hearing; Speech Perception
PubMed: 37006114
DOI: 10.4103/nah.nah_53_22 -
Audiology & Neuro-otology 2023Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a viral infection with a wide variety of symptoms, including fever, coughing, sneezing, fatigue, and a...
INTRODUCTION
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a viral infection with a wide variety of symptoms, including fever, coughing, sneezing, fatigue, and a loss of taste and smell. Moreover, there are some recent studies that investigate the effects of SARS-CoV-2 on hearing and auditory performance. With this current study, we investigate the early effects of the coronavirus disease on hair cells in the cochlea.
METHODS
In the current study, there were 25 subjects (17 females, 8 males) who tested positive for polymerase chain reaction on nasopharyngeal swabs. They had reported normal auditory functions and no history of otology before SARS-CoV-2. To determine auditory functions, pure-tone audiometry, otoacoustic emissions (OAE) tests, and threshold equalizing noise (TEN) tests were used.
RESULTS
Although the hearing thresholds increased at higher frequencies, they were within normal limits according to four-frequency pure-tone averages. All participants had normal OAE, and there were no detected dead regions for any of the subjects. Even so, there were significant increases in hearing thresholds in TEN.
CONCLUSION
There is no cochlear dysfunction discovered by OAE and TEN in SARS-CoV-2-affected individuals. Nonetheless, the increase in hearing thresholds at higher frequencies, other than the pure-tone average frequencies detected by TEN, and the decrease in the presence of detected OAE could be related to deterioration in the basal part of the cochlea.
Topics: Male; Female; Humans; Adult; SARS-CoV-2; Auditory Threshold; COVID-19; Cochlea; Audiometry, Pure-Tone; Otoacoustic Emissions, Spontaneous
PubMed: 36516739
DOI: 10.1159/000527811 -
Brazilian Journal of Otorhinolaryngology 2020Hearing acuity, central auditory processing and cognition contribute to the speech recognition difficulty experienced by older adults. Therefore, quantifying the...
INTRODUCTION
Hearing acuity, central auditory processing and cognition contribute to the speech recognition difficulty experienced by older adults. Therefore, quantifying the contribution of these factors on speech recognition problem is important in order to formulate a holistic and effective rehabilitation.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the relative contributions of auditory functioning and cognition status to speech recognition in quiet and in noise.
METHODS
We measured speech recognition in quiet and in composite noise using the Malay Hearing in noise test on 72 native Malay speakers (60-82 years) older adults with normal to mild hearing loss. Auditory function included pure tone audiogram, gaps-in-noise, and dichotic digit tests. Cognitive function was assessed using the Malay Montreal cognitive assessment.
RESULTS
Linear regression analyses using backward elimination technique revealed that had the better ear four frequency average (0.5-4kHz) (4FA), high frequency average and Malay Montreal cognitive assessment attributed to speech perception in quiet (total r=0.499). On the other hand, high frequency average, Malay Montreal cognitive assessment and dichotic digit tests contributed significantly to speech recognition in noise (total r=0.307). Whereas the better ear high frequency average primarily measured the speech recognition in quiet, the speech recognition in noise was mainly measured by cognitive function.
CONCLUSIONS
These findings highlight the fact that besides hearing sensitivity, cognition plays an important role in speech recognition ability among older adults, especially in noisy environments. Therefore, in addition to hearing aids, rehabilitation, which trains cognition, may have a role in improving speech recognition in noise ability of older adults.
Topics: Acoustic Stimulation; Aged; Audiometry, Pure-Tone; Auditory Threshold; Cognition; Female; Hearing Tests; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Noise; Presbycusis; Speech Perception; Speech Reception Threshold Test
PubMed: 30558985
DOI: 10.1016/j.bjorl.2018.10.010 -
Trends in Hearing 2022Hearing aids (HA) are the most common type of rehabilitation treatment for age-related hearing loss. However, HA users often obtain limited benefit from their devices,...
Hearing aids (HA) are the most common type of rehabilitation treatment for age-related hearing loss. However, HA users often obtain limited benefit from their devices, particularly in noisy environments, and thus many HA candidates do not use them at all. A possible reason for this could be that current HA fittings are audiogram-based, that is, they neglect supra-threshold factors. In an earlier study, an auditory-profiling method was proposed as a basis for more personalized HA fittings. This method classifies HA users into four profiles that differ in terms of hearing sensitivity and supra-threshold hearing abilities. Previously, HA users belonging to these profiles showed significant differences in terms of speech recognition in noise but not subjective assessments of speech-in-noise (SIN) outcome. Moreover, large individual differences within some profiles were observed. The current study therefore explored if cognitive factors can help explain these differences and improve aided outcome prediction. Thirty-nine older HA users completed sets of auditory and SIN tests as well as two tablet-based cognitive measures (the Corsi block-tapping and trail-making tests). Principal component analyses were applied to extract the dominant sources of variance both within individual tests producing many variables and within the three types of tests. Multiple linear regression analyses performed on the extracted components showed that auditory factors were related to aided speech recognition in noise but not to subjective SIN outcome. Cognitive factors were unrelated to aided SIN outcome. Overall, these findings provide limited support for adding those two cognitive tests to the profiling of HA users.
Topics: Auditory Threshold; Cognition; Hearing Aids; Humans; Noise; Speech; Speech Perception
PubMed: 35942807
DOI: 10.1177/23312165221113889 -
Test-retest reliability of distortion-product thresholds compared to behavioral auditory thresholds.Hearing Research Jul 2021When referred to baseline measures, serial monitoring of pure-tone behavioral thresholds and distortion-product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) can be used to detect the...
When referred to baseline measures, serial monitoring of pure-tone behavioral thresholds and distortion-product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) can be used to detect the progression of cochlear damage. Semi-logarithmic DPOAE input-output (I/O) functions enable the computation of estimated distortion-product thresholds (EDPTs) by means of linear regression, a metric that provides a quantitative estimate of hearing loss due to cochlear-amplifier degradation. DPOAE wave interference and a suboptimal choice of stimulus levels limit the accuracy of EDPTs. This work identifies the test-retest reliability of EDPTs derived from short-pulse DPOAE level maps (EDPT), a method that circumvents limitations associated with both wave interference and suboptimal choice of stimulus levels. The test-retest reliability was compared to that of EDPTs derived from semi-logarithmic I/O functions (EDPT) and that of behavioral thresholds acquired with pure-tone audiometry (PTA) and modified Békésy tracking audiometry (TA) to provide a foundation for identifying and interpreting significant threshold shifts. The DPOAE-based auditory thresholds (EDPT and EDPT) and behavioral thresholds (PTA and TA) were recorded seven times within three months at 14 frequencies with f = 1-14 kHz in 20 ears from ten subjects with normal hearing (4PTA < 20 dB HL). To obtain EDPT, short-pulse DPOAEs were recorded using 21 L,L pairs. Reconstruction of DPOAE growth behavior as a function of L and L using nonlinear curve fitting enabled the derivation of EDPT for each frequency. Test-retest reliability was determined using three different approaches: 1) centered thresholds, 2) average threshold differences, and 3) average absolute threshold differences, between each possible test session (N = 21). Test-retest reliability based on centered thresholds and average threshold differences showed no statistically significant difference between EDPT, EDPT, PTA, and TA for the pooled analysis incorporating all stimulus frequencies. Average absolute threshold differences presented small but significant differences in test-retest reliability with median values of 3.00 dB for PTA, 3.20 dB for TA, 3.34 dB for EDPT, and 3.51 dB for EDPT. A considerable frequency dependence of test-retest reliability was found; namely, the highest test-retest reliability was for EDPT at f = 11 - 14 kHz. Otherwise, at lower frequencies, the highest test-retest reliability was for TA at f =1 - 2 kHz. Overall, the test-retest reliability of EDPT was better than that of EDPT and was similar to that for behavioral thresholds. Hence, deriving EDPT from individual level maps is a promising and sensitive method for objectively monitoring the state of the cochlea. Furthermore, the detection of an equidirectional threshold change at a single frequency in both EDPT and TA might allow reducing the threshold shift as indication of a follow-up examination from the clinical standard of 10 dB down to 5 dB. This stricter indicator might be beneficial when monitoring cochlear damage, for example ototoxicity, in the presence of (remnant) cochlear amplification at baseline.
Topics: Audiometry, Pure-Tone; Auditory Threshold; Cochlea; Humans; Otoacoustic Emissions, Spontaneous; Reproducibility of Results
PubMed: 33984603
DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2021.108232 -
Trends in Hearing 2022This study was designed to examine age effects on various auditory perceptual skills using a large group of listeners (155 adults, 121 aged 60-88 years and 34 aged 18-30...
This study was designed to examine age effects on various auditory perceptual skills using a large group of listeners (155 adults, 121 aged 60-88 years and 34 aged 18-30 years), while controlling for the factors of hearing loss and working memory (WM). All subjects completed 3 measures of WM, 7 psychoacoustic tasks (24 conditions) and a hearing assessment. Psychophysical measures were selected to tap phenomena thought to be mediated by higher-level auditory function and included modulation detection, modulation detection interference, informational masking (IM), masking level difference (MLD), anisochrony detection, harmonic mistuning, and stream segregation. Principal-components analysis (PCA) was applied to each psychoacoustic test. For 6 of the 7 tasks, a single component represented performance across the multiple stimulus conditions well, whereas the modulation-detection interference (MDI) task required two components to do so. The effect of age was analyzed using a general linear model applied to each psychoacoustic component. Once hearing loss and WM were accounted for as covariates in the analyses, estimated marginal mean thresholds were lower for older adults on tasks based on temporal processing. When evaluated separately, hearing loss led to poorer performance on roughly 1/2 the tasks and declines in WM accounted for poorer performance on 6 of the 8 psychoacoustic components. These results make clear the need to interpret age-group differences in performance on psychoacoustic tasks in light of cognitive declines commonly associated with aging, and point to hearing loss and cognitive declines as negatively influencing auditory perceptual skills.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Auditory Perception; Auditory Threshold; Cognition; Hearing Loss; Humans; Middle Aged; Noise; Perceptual Masking; Speech Perception; Young Adult
PubMed: 34989641
DOI: 10.1177/23312165211066180 -
Scientific Reports Jul 2021Our acoustic environment contains a plethora of complex sounds that are often in motion. To gauge approaching danger and communicate effectively, listeners need to...
Our acoustic environment contains a plethora of complex sounds that are often in motion. To gauge approaching danger and communicate effectively, listeners need to localize and identify sounds, which includes determining sound motion. This study addresses which acoustic cues impact listeners' ability to determine sound motion. Signal envelope (ENV) cues are implicated in both sound motion tracking and stimulus intelligibility, suggesting that these processes could be competing for sound processing resources. We created auditory chimaera from speech and noise stimuli and varied the number of frequency bands, effectively manipulating speech intelligibility. Normal-hearing adults were presented with stationary or moving chimaeras and reported perceived sound motion and content. Results show that sensitivity to sound motion is not affected by speech intelligibility, but shows a clear difference for original noise and speech stimuli. Further, acoustic chimaera with speech-like ENVs which had intelligible content induced a strong bias in listeners to report sounds as stationary. Increasing stimulus intelligibility systematically increased that bias and removing intelligible content reduced it, suggesting that sound content may be prioritized over sound motion. These findings suggest that sound motion processing in the auditory system can be biased by acoustic parameters related to speech intelligibility.
Topics: Acoustic Stimulation; Adult; Auditory Perception; Auditory Threshold; Cues; Female; Hearing; Hearing Tests; Humans; Male; Motion; Motion Perception; Noise; Perceptual Masking; Sound; Speech Acoustics; Speech Intelligibility; Speech Perception; Young Adult
PubMed: 34302032
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-94662-y