1,720,964 research outputs found
Effects of a noise-induced audiometric notch on tinnitus distress
No full textNoise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is a widely known occupational health problem. Two initial characteristics of NIHL are audiometric notch and tinnitus. Many studies focus on the relationship between NIHL and either audiometric notch or tinnitus, however an investigation on the link between audiometric notch and tinnitus is still missing. The objective of the current study is to evaluate tinnitus distress in individuals with noise-induced audiometric notch. A group of 11 individuals with a history of noise exposure and sensorineural hearing loss were included. Tinnitus mapping, including location, loudness, pitch and minimal masking level; residual inhibition (RI), tinnitus handicap inventory (THI), and Mini-Tinnitus Questionnaire (TQ 12-T) were performed. Audiometric notch was observed at 6 kHz, being in line with previous studies, in 46% of the participants. However, a significant number of participants (54%) had audiometric notch at 4 kHz. According to THI and TQ 12-T results, noise-induced audiometric notch was associated with moderate tinnitus distress. Additionally, tinnitus pitch was closely correlated to the notch frequency and easily inhibited by the sound
Exploring objective measures of auditory temporal resolution using auditory brainstem responses (ABRs)
No full textAccurately assessing auditory temporal resolution, the ability to detect rapid changes in sound, is crucial for diagnosing and understanding supra-threshold hearing impairments. While traditional behavioural approaches (e.g., gap detection tasks) are effective, they rely on active participation, making them unsuitable for populations such as infants or individuals with cognitive or communicative challenges. This thesis investigates both subjective (behavioural) and objective (electrophysiological) measures of temporal resolution, aiming to develop an objective method using the Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR). A pilot study evaluates multiple ABR paradigms, identifying the Two-Click (2C) and Temporal Notched Noise with Click (TNNC) paradigms as promising approaches for measuring temporal resolution thresholds. These paradigms are then further examined in a following full experiment using advanced statistical techniques (Hotelling’s T2, Fsp, and bootstrap resampling) to reduce observer bias in peak identification, improving diagnostic robustness. Both approaches provide promising estimates of temporal resolution at the group level; however, considerable individual variability presents a challenge. Test–retest validation reveals the TNNC paradigm as the more reliable method, with better consistency. The TNNC paradigm is then separated into forward and backward masking conditions to further investigate the neuronal substrates of temporal resolution. While forward masking ABR findings support neural adaptation at the brainstem level, backward masking does not elicit comparable markers, suggesting involvement of higher-level auditory processing. Behavioural data reveal distinct threshold patterns compared to electrophysiological results, highlighting the multifaceted nature of temporal resolution and the importance of integrating objective and subjective measures.By systematically examining behavioural and ABR outcomes with identical stimuli, this research demonstrates the feasibility of an ABR-based framework for populations unable to perform behavioural tasks. Although individual response variability currently limits immediate clinical application in single cases, these findings enhance our understanding of brainstem responses to rapid auditory temporal events at a group level. Further refinements and standardisation are needed to optimise its clinical use, but this work establishes a solid foundation for future investigation of temporal resolution in diverse patient populations.<br/
Dataset supporting thesis titled: 'Exploring objective measures of auditory temporal resolution using auditory brainstem responses (ABRs)'
No full textDataset supporting thesis titled: 'Exploring objective measures of auditory temporal resolution using auditory brainstem responses (ABRs)'.</span
Spectral peak picking improves tactile speech perception
No full textIndividual differences in speech perception often arise from disparities in access to acoustic-phonetic cues, particularly among those with hearing loss. Haptic hearing aids, which convey speech information through the sense of touch (a form of sensory substitution), offer a complementary pathway to improve speech understanding. However, effectively transmitting critical speech features through vibrotactile stimulation remains challenging.To address this challenge, we introduce a tactile spectral peak picking (tSPP) approach, integrated into a vocoder-based audio-to-tactile conversion algorithm to enhance vibrotactile phoneme discrimination. The tactile vocoder decomposes audio into eight frequency bands, with tSPP selectively transmitting only the most energetic bands to emphasise dominant spectral features.Tactile phoneme discrimination on the wrist was tested in 26 participants using the tactile vocoder alone or with the tSPP algorithm selecting one, two, or four peaks. Discrimination improved significantly when one, two, or four peaks were selected relative to the vocoder alone, with the greatest benefits observed for one- and two-peak tSPP (average improvement: 7.5%).These findings demonstrate that selective enhancement of spectrally salient features can improve tactile speech perception. The algorithm is suitable for real-time use in wearable sensory substitution devices and could aid the development of effective haptic hearing aids.<br/
Vestibulo-Spinal reflex tests to determine unilateral vestibular loss
No full textObjective: the purpose of this study was to investigate subjective vestibulo-spinal reflex test sensitivity in subjects with unilateral vestibular loss. Method: forty subjects diagnosed with UVL within 7 days of onset and 30 subjects without dizziness/balance disorder complaints were included in the study as the unilateral vestibular loss and control groups (70 subjects aged 18–60 years [mean: 42.95 ± 10.82]). Bithermal caloric test, Fukuda, Babinski Weil, tandem walking, and past pointing tests were performed. The subjective VSR tests’ sensitivities were compared among the various methods. Results: the Fukuda test was determined to have the highest sensitivity value (65%; kappa coefficient: 0.352). The sensitivity values of the other tests, in descending order, are: Babinski Weil (55%, Kappa coefficient: 0.274), tandem walking (10%, Kappa coefficient: 0.022), and past pointing (2.5%, Kappa coefficient: −0.014). A positive moderate correlation was obtained between canal paresis asymmetry and Fukuda deviation degree (p = 0.009, r = 0.407). There was no correlation between Babinski Weil (p = 0.619), tandem walking (p = 0.538), and past pointing test results and canal paresis asymmetry (p > 0.05). Conclusions: fukuda and Babinski Weil tests can be used under conditions where all subjective tests are not performed because of limited time. However, these tests must be used alongside objective vestibular test batteries owing to their limited specificity and sensitivity
Objective measures of auditory temporal resolution with ABR
No full textObjective: to develop a reliable objective method to measure temporal resolution thresholds using Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) with statistical response detection methods.Design: the ABR paradigms “Two Clicks (2C)” and “Temporal Notched Noise with Click (TNNC)” were evaluated for measuring objective temporal resolution thresholds. Statistical methods were used for ABR detection. Test-retest reliability of both ABR paradigms was also assessed. For comparison, a Gaps in Noise test and psychometric TNNC paradigm measured behavioural thresholds from the same subjects.Study sample: 23 normal-hearing participants in the main study, and an additional 10 in the test-retest experiment, aged 20–35 years.Results: objective temporal resolution thresholds averaged 4.04 ms for the 2C paradigm and 3.21 ms for the TNNC paradigm. Group-level data showed reduced ABR amplitude and detection as gap durations approached threshold, whilst individual ABR amplitudes fluctuated across gap durations. Behavioural thresholds averaged 1.49 and 2.22 ms. In the test-retest experiment, TNNC showed moderate repeatability, while 2C had slight, non-significant repeatability (measured by Cohen’s Kappa).Conclusions: while these objective approaches show promise for measuring temporal resolution at a group level, their application in individuals remains challenging due to high variability across subjects. The TNNC paradigm demonstrated better performance in terms of ABR repeatability
Dataset supporting the publication "Improved tactile speech perception and noise robustness using audio-to-tactile sensory substitution with amplitude envelope expansion"
No full textThis dataset supports the publication by AUTHORS: Mark Fletcher, Esma Akis, Carl Verschuur, & Sam Perry, "Improved tactile speech perception and noise robustness using audio-to-tactile sensory substitution with amplitude envelope expansion" in Scientific Reports.
This dataset contains a CSV file with the participant number (matching the number used for the data presented in the published article associated with this dataset), dominant hand (left or right), wrist circumference (mm), probe position on the wrist, screening vibro-tactile detection threshold at 125 Hz (ms/2), gender, age, and percentage correct for phoneme discrimination in each condition. The header name for each condition describes whether or not expansion has been applied ("NoExp" or "Exp") and whether discrimination is in quiet or in noise ("Noi" or "Qui"). Data is separated by consonants and vowels ("C" or "V") and whether speech is the male or female talker ("F" or "M").</span
Dataset for: Improved tactile speech perception using audio-to-tactile sensory substitution with formant frequency focusing
No full textThis dataset supports the publication:
AUTHORS: Mark Fletcher, Esma Akis, Carl Verschuur, & Sam Perry
TITLE: Improved tactile speech perception using audio-to-tactile sensory substitution with formant frequency focusing
JOURNAL: Scientific Reports
This dataset contains a CSV file with the participant number (matching the number used for the data presented in the published article associated with this dataset), dominant hand (left/right), wrist height, width, and circumference (mm), 31.5 Hz threshold and 125 Hz vibro-tactile detection threshold at the fingertip (ms/2), gender, age, and percentage correct for phoneme discrimination in each condition. The header name for each condition shows the frequency focusing method, the phoneme type (vowel or consonant), and the talker gender.
Date of data collection: 01/01/2023 - 01/06/2023
All data was collected at the University of Southampton, U.K.</span
Improved tactile speech perception and noise robustness using audio-to-tactile sensory substitution with amplitude envelope expansion
No full textRecent advances in haptic technology could allow haptic hearing aids, which convert audio to tactile stimulation, to become viable for supporting people with hearing loss. A tactile vocoder strategy for audio-to-tactile conversion, which exploits these advances, has recently shown significant promise. In this strategy, the amplitude envelope is extracted from several audio frequency bands and used to modulate the amplitude of a set of vibro-tactile tones. The vocoder strategy allows good consonant discrimination, but vowel discrimination is poor and the strategy is susceptible to background noise. In the current study, we assessed whether multi-band amplitude envelope expansion can effectively enhance critical vowel features, such as formants, and improve speech extraction from noise. In 32 participants with normal touch perception, tactile-only phoneme discrimination with and without envelope expansion was assessed both in quiet and in background noise. Envelope expansion improved performance in quiet by 10.3% for vowels and by 5.9% for consonants. In noise, envelope expansion improved overall phoneme discrimination by 9.6%, with no difference in benefit between consonants and vowels. The tactile vocoder with envelope expansion can be deployed in real-time on a compact device and could substantially improve clinical outcomes for a new generation of haptic hearing aids.</p
Improved tactile speech perception using audio-to-tactile sensory substitution with formant frequency focusing
No full textHaptic hearing aids, which provide speech information through tactile stimulation, could substantially improve outcomes for both cochlear implant users and for those unable to access cochlear implants. Recent advances in wide-band haptic actuator technology have made new audio-to-tactile conversion strategies viable for wearable devices. One such strategy filters the audio into eight frequency bands, which are evenly distributed across the speech frequency range. The amplitude envelopes from the eight bands modulate the amplitudes of eight low-frequency tones, which are delivered through vibration to a single site on the wrist. This tactile vocoder strategy effectively transfers some phonemic information, but vowels and obstruent consonants are poorly portrayed. In 20 participants with normal touch perception, we tested (1) whether focusing the audio filters of the tactile vocoder more densely around the first and second formant frequencies improved tactile vowel discrimination, and (2) whether focusing filters at mid-to-high frequencies improved obstruent consonant discrimination. The obstruent-focused approach was found to be ineffective. However, the formant-focused approach improved vowel discrimination by 8%, without changing overall consonant discrimination. The formant-focused tactile vocoder strategy, which can readily be implemented in real time on a compact device, could substantially improve speech perception for haptic hearing aid users
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