A comparison of gap‐detection thresholds through audition and touch in listeners with real and simulated hearing impairment.

Abstract

Gap‐detection thresholds were measured in listeners with real and simulated hearing loss under conditions of auditory or tactile presentation. The audiometric thresholds of each of ten listeners with sensorineural hearing loss (21–69 years of age) were simulated in groups of age‐matched normal‐hearing listeners through a combination of spectrally shaped masking noise and multiband expansion. The leading and trailing markers for the gap‐detection task were 250‐ and 400‐Hz sinusoids with a nominal duration of 100 ms. Gap‐detection thresholds for a nominal baseline gap of 0 ms were measured for four different combinations of leading and trailing markers (250–250, 250–400, 400–250, and 400–400 Hz) using a 3I, 2AFC procedure. Auditory measurements were obtained for monaural presentation over headphones using a marker level set to be equal to the maximum of 70 dB SPL or 10 dB SL. Tactile measurements were obtained using sinusoids presented to the left middle finger through an Alpha‐M AV‐6 vibrator at a level of 25 dB SL. Results are discussed in terms of (a) spectral‐disparity effects of leading and trailing markers; (b) relation of thresholds for auditory versus tactile presentation; and (c) comparisons of results from listeners with real and simulated hearing loss. [Work supported by NIH‐NIDCD R01 DC00117.]