Intelligibility of speech produced under sleep-deprivation conditions.

Abstract

In previous work, we applied the technique of acoustic landmark detection to speech produced under rested vs sleep-deprived conditions. We found significant differences for both the number and pattern of landmarks detected. In a parallel study we found significant differences in clear vs conversational styles of speech. While it has been shown by a number of investigators that clear and conversational speech styles differ in the degree to which intelligibility to listeners is preserved in noise, it is not clear whether the articulatory changes found in sleep-deprived speech affect the ability of listeners to understand what is said, especially in noise. In this paper, we present the results of a study in which normal-hearing listeners are asked to transcribe speech presented with and without background noise. Similar levels of background noise have been shown to reduce speech intelligibility for clear vs conversational speech presented to normal listeners. The speech in this study was produced under rested and sleep-deprived conditions. Results will be compared to effects of clear vs conversational speech presented in noise and in quiet.