Hearing Perception Research Articles

Digital Transformation in Community Radio: Extending the Reach of Social Inclusion Efforts at Mathare FM, Nairobi, Kenya

This study explores the potential of Mathare FM, a community radio station in Nairobi’s Mathare slum, to enhance social inclusion through digital transformation. The main objectives were to assess how digital platforms can expand Mathare FM’s role in promoting social inclusion and to explore the perceptions of listeners and staff regarding the integration of these tools. Purposive sampling method was employed to select participants who could provide relevant insights regarding the station's social inclusion impact for Mathare residents. Grounded in Diffusion of Innovations Theory and Uses and Gratifications Theory, this research analyses the benefits of incorporating social media, mobile applications, and online streaming into the station’s operations. Data collected from the questionnaires were analysed using SPSS to perform descriptive and inferential statistical analyses. A descriptive research approach was used, combining questionnaires and interviews with a sample size of 400 members. Findings indicate that Mathare FM plays a significant role in promoting social inclusion, with 53% of respondents reporting high satisfaction with the station's community engagement efforts. Notably, 76% of respondents believe that digital platforms would facilitate greater engagement for marginalized groups, and 73% expressed a willingness to integrate these tools with traditional broadcasting. The study recommends developing a comprehensive digital strategy, enhancing social media engagement, and leveraging mobile applications to increase accessibility and interaction within the community.

Linguistic correlates of second language users’ attitudes to Arabic and Chinese varieties of English: a verbal guise study

ABSTRACT Research into language attitudes suggests that L2 users often hold negative attitudes toward their own and others’ L2 accents. However, less is known about specific features that affect these attitudes. Beinhoff’s study explored consonantal variation and its impact on perceptions of L2 speakers, but this study further examines linguistic correlates of L2 users’ attitudes toward Arabic and Chinese varieties of English. Using the verbal guise method, Arabic and Chinese male and female speakers read a paragraph in English with varying L1 influences. Each sample was rated by 30 L2 listeners on a 6-point semantic differential scale assessing status, solidarity, and dynamism. Phonological and fluency analyses of the samples revealed that non-segmental features, such as prosody, play a more significant role in eliciting positive attitudes toward these English varieties than do segmental features. These findings highlight the importance of suprasegmental aspects in shaping listener perceptions of L2 English speech.

A primate model animal revealed the inter-species differences and similarities in the subtype specifications of the spiral ganglion neurons

Type I spiral ganglion neurons are peripheral neurons essential for hearing perception. While they can be subdivided in mice based on characteristic gene expression patterns, detailed examinations of these subtypes in primates and humans are lacking. In this study, we investigated the developmental subtypes of spiral ganglion neurons in the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus). We confirmed that Type I spiral ganglion can be divided based on the characteristic gene expression patterns of several marker genes. However, some combinations of these genes differ from those in rodents, suggesting common marmoset's suitability for advancing our understanding of human cochlear development. Additionally, identifying the essential time points for subtype specifications and subsequent maturation will aid in studying the primate-specific developmental biology of the inner ear. This could lead to new treatment strategies for hearing loss in humans and be valuable for studying age-related hearing loss, as well as designing regenerative therapies.

A comparison of Heritage vs Homeland Taiwanese Mandarin speaker attitudes towards sajiao

This study investigates the language attitudes and perceptions of Taiwanese Mandarin heritage and homeland listeners towards the use of sajiao, a stylized speech type, in two varieties of Mandarin. A matched guise experiment was conducted via Qualtrics with heritage listeners from the United States (n = 6) and homeland listeners from Taiwan (n = 7). Participants listened to a recording and rated their perceived social constructions of the speakers in terms of their cuteness, pleasantness, femininity, masculinity, and professionalism on a scale from one to seven. In total, participants listened to 130 recordings, 64 target and 66 filler, of 4 different sentences with both sajiao and non-sajiao forms. We find that heritage speakers pattern similarly to homeland speakers, although not to the same extent. This positions heritage speakers in their own category, where they have acquired the social associations with this specialized speech style, but not to the same degree as homeland speakers. This research sheds new light on heritage language socialization and perceptions of language variation, namely regarding two varieties of Mandarin and speech style. Further research is needed to investigate how Beijing Mandarin heritage speakers would perform in this same task.

Issues and recent research on VHF sound exposure with consideration for young people's hearing perception

We define VHF sound as airborne sound that may be audible to humans above 16 kHz. It has been reported in recent studies that VHF sounds can be annoying when audible. We have therefore carried out various research studies to ensure the safe use of VHF sounds. One of the aim of this study is to obtain basic data for developing guidelines for VHF sound exposure, if necessary.These include measurements of hearing thresholds in the VHF range, ABR measurements, HRTF measurements and acoustic measurements for simulation and current situation of exposure regarding the effect of hair. This paper reports on recent trends in VHF sound exposure in Japan and several studies on the perceptions of young people's hearing of VHF sounds.

Temporal speech cue perception in listeners with cochlear implants depends on the time between those cues and previous sound energy.

Cochlear implants (CIs) provide precise temporal information that listeners use to understand speech. Other acoustic cues are not conveyed as precisely, making unambiguous temporal speech cues vital to a listener's ability to understand speech. Several speech sounds are differentiated by small differences in the timing of acoustic features. Previous studies have shown differences in the perception of these differences, depending on whether the speech sound was heard in a single word or embedded in a sentence. This study expands on previous research by exploring forward masking as a possible contributor to the mechanisms driving the effects observed when temporal cues were embedded in sentences. Listeners using CIs performed a phoneme categorization task on words from four continua that each varied mainly on a single temporal dimension. The differentiating phonemes were located at the beginning of the word in two continua and at the end of the word in two others. Silent intervals of 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100 ms between the preceding sentence and the target words were tested. Results showed an increasing effect on performance as the inter-stimulus interval duration decreased for the two word-initial phonemic contrasts, lending support to forward masking as an influence on speech understanding.

Using hearing and vision for localization, motion perception, and motion prediction

Using hearing and vision for localization, motion perception, and motion prediction

Perception of voice and hearing in teachers who carry out classes online in Chile

Introduction: Teachers are vulnerable to vocal and hearing health problems due to the characteristics of their work, such as prolonged use of the voice and exposure to noise. This study seeks to establish the relationship between the type of audio device used, volume, hours of online work, and teachers' self-perception of voice and hearing.Methods: A quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted with 462 teachers (378 women and 84 men) between 21 and 40 years of age. An online survey was applied that collected data on the use of audio devices, sound level, and self-perception of voice. Significant differences by sex were analyzed and correlations were determined using statistical tests.Results: The results show that women tend to use more built-in microphones and speakers than men and report a more negative perception of their voice compared to men. A significant correlation (0.8999, p<0.00001) was found between the number of hours of online teaching and voice perception, where longer working time is associated with worse self-perception.Conclusions: Teachers mainly use built-in microphones and speakers, and their voice perception deteriorates as the hours of online class work increase. The need to implement prevention programs in vocal health and the use of devices that minimize the impact of environmental noise on their performance is highlighted.

The Effects of Speaker Head Posture on Auditory Perception of Vocal Masculinity

ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of head position on listeners’ perception of vocal masculinity. MethodsTwelve cisgender women were recorded reciting two voiced sentences with varying head positions: baseline, flexed, and extended. Voice samples were cropped and fundamental frequency (fo) was resynthesized to control for any changes in fo across conditions. Twelve cisgender adults were recruited as listeners. Listeners were presented with 144 paired comparisons of speaker samples and were prompted to select the sample that sounded more masculine in each presented pairing. Ratings of masculinity were analyzed using Thurstone’s law of comparative judgment. A repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) assessed the effects of head positioning, followed by Dunnett’s post hoc tests. ResultsThe ANOVA showed a statistically significant effect of head position on listener perceptions of masculinity: speech in the flexed position was perceived as statistically more masculine than that in the baseline condition. ConclusionsThe results of this study support the use of head posture manipulation to achieve increased vocal masculinity, which adds to the limited research related to voice masculinization strategies for those seeking gender-affirming voice care.

Decreasing the physical gap in the neural-electrode interface and related concepts to improve cochlear implant performance.

Cochlear implants (CI) represent incredible devices that restore hearing perception for those with moderate to profound sensorineural hearing loss. However, the ability of a CI to restore complex auditory function is limited by the number of perceptually independent spectral channels provided. A major contributor to this limitation is the physical gap between the CI electrodes and the target spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs). In order for CI electrodes to stimulate SGNs more precisely, and thus better approximate natural hearing, new methodologies need to be developed to decrease this gap, (i.e., transitioning CIs from a far-field to near-field device). In this review, strategies aimed at improving the neural-electrode interface are discussed in terms of the magnitude of impact they could have and the work needed to implement them. Ongoing research suggests current clinical efforts to limit the CI-related immune response holds great potential for improving device performance. This could eradicate the dense, fibrous capsule surrounding the electrode and enhance preservation of natural cochlear architecture, including SGNs. In the long term, however, optimized future devices will likely need to induce and guide the outgrowth of the peripheral process of SGNs to be in closer proximity to the CI electrode in order to better approximate natural hearing. This research is in its infancy; it remains to be seen which strategies (surface patterning, small molecule release, hydrogel coating, etc.) will be enable this approach. Additionally, these efforts aimed at optimizing CI function will likely translate to other neural prostheses, which face similar issues.

L2 English listeners’ perceived comprehensibility and attitudes towards speech produced by L3 English learners from China

ABSTRACT This study investigated the perceptions of second language (L2) English learners from Hong Kong on the speech produced by third language (L3) English learners from the Greater Bay Area (GBA) of China. Twenty L2 learners from a local university were asked to listen to speech recordings from two L3 learners, and then complete an online survey, which focused on comprehension of the speech and four dimensions of language attitudes, namely Appropriateness, Solidarity, Status, and Dynamism. Results showed correlations between the phonological performance of learners and the perception of listeners. Specifically, vowel replacement and addition, as well as consonant addition were found to have a negative correlation with the learners’ actual comprehensibility. Replacing /ə/ with Chinese ‘er’ /ɚ/ only affected their perceived comprehensibility. For perceived attitude, the presence of vowel replacement and addition had an adverse effect on the rating of Dynamism. These two features, along with consonant addition, also negatively affected the rating of Status. Moreover, consonant addition was the sole factor that negatively affected the rating of Solidarity. These findings provided pedagogical insights for learners to communicate in English as well as social implications for language paradigm, particularly in a multilingual and multicultural context such as the GBA.

Sensory intelligence for extraction of abstract auditory rules from a speech sound stream in children with cochlear implants

ObjectiveSensory intelligence in the brain helps listeners automatically extract abstract auditory rules formed by invariant acoustic features from complex speech sound streams, presumably serving as the neural basis for speech comprehension. However, whether this intelligence is deficient in children with cochlear implants (CIs) remains unclear. MethodsMandarin Chinese monosyllables shared a flat lexical tone contour to form an abstract auditory rule but differed in other acoustic features to construct a complex speech sound stream. The abstract rule was occasionally violated by monosyllables with a rising or falling lexical tone. ResultsIn normal hearing (NH) children, the abstract auditory rule could be extracted, as revealed by a mismatch negativity (MMN) and a late discriminative negativity (LDN). However, the MMN and LDN were only evoked in CI children with good hearing and speech performance. NH children with a higher speech perception or spatial hearing score had a greater MMN. The LDN was attenuated with increasing age in NH children. ConclusionsThe sensory intelligence for extraction of auditory abstract rules, associated with speech perception, is deficient in CI children. This intelligence may gradually develop during childhood and adolescence. SignificanceDeficient sensory intelligence in CI children may aid in understanding poor speech comprehension in complex environments.

Association Between Multisensory Impairment and Depression Among Older Adults: A Population-Based Analysis.

In this study, we examine how impairments in vision, hearing, touch, and olfaction relate to depression in older adults, considering both individual and multisensory impairments (MSIs). Analysis of cross-sectional data from a longitudinal investigation involving black and white older adults aged 70 to 79 at enrollment. We studied 1640 black and white participants in the Health ABC study using complete sensory evaluation data from years 3 to 5. Our MSI assessment utilized data obtained for visual acuity, hearing perception, olfactory performance, and tactile function. We performed multivariable logistic regression analyses to examine the associations between the presence of individual and MSIs and depression which was defined as the presence of antidepressants prescribed for depression, or a Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale score of greater than 10. We observed a possible dose-response relationship between the number of sensory impairments and depression. In adjusted models, when compared to no impairments, vision (odds ratio [OR] = 1.45, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.09-1.93) and hearing impairments (OR = 1.49, 95% CI: 1.11-1.99) were significantly associated with depression, whereas olfaction (OR = 1.11, 95% CI: 0.83-1.47) and tactile impairments (OR = 1.28, 95% CI: 0.96-1.70) were not. Participants with 3 sensory impairments had a higher rate of depression (OR = 2.05, 95% CI: 1.22-3.54) compared to those without impairments, and this risk increased further for those with 4 sensory impairments (OR = 2.95, 95% CI: 1.48-5.88). The findings suggest that individuals with MSI represent a high-risk population for depression, warranting close monitoring to screen for depression. The study emphasizes the importance of considering multiple sensory impairments in the context of mental health and supports the early identification and monitoring of depression in this population.

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation or enzyme replacement therapy in Gaucher disease type 3

Gaucher disease (GD) is a lysosomal storage disorder with glucocerebroside accumulation in the macrophages. The disease is divided into three types based on neurocognitive involvement with GD1 having no involvement while the acute (GD2) and chronic (GD3) are neuronopathic. The non-neurological symptoms of GD3 are well treated with enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) which has replaced hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). ERT is unable to prevent neurological progression as the enzyme cannot cross the blood-brain barrier. In this retrospective study, we report the general, neurocognitive, and biochemical outcomes of three siblings with GD3 after treatment with ERT or HSCT. Two were treated with HSCT (named HSCT1 and HSCT2) and one with ERT (ERT1).All patients were homozygous for the c.1448 T > C, (p.Leu483Pro) variant in the GBA1 gene associated with GD3. ERT1 experienced neurocognitive progression with development of seizures, oculomotor apraxia, perceptive hearing loss and mental retardation. HSCT1 had no neurological manifestations, while HSCT2 developed perceptive hearing loss and low IQ. Chitotriosidase concentrations were normal in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for HSCT1 and HSCT2, but both were markedly elevated in ERT1.We report a better neurological outcome and a normalization of chitotriosidase in the two siblings treated with HSCT compared to the ERT-treated sibling. With the advancements in HSCT over the past 25 years, we may reconsider using HSCT in GD3 to achieve a better neurological outcome and limit disease progression.

Listener perceptions of L1 speech in L2 and L3 fluency assessment contexts: a qualitative approach

Studies on listeners’ perceptions of speech fluency have typically focused on numeric L2 fluency assessments and rarely addressed individual differences in L1 speech fluency qualitatively. The objective of the present study was to examine how listeners attend to speakers’ L1 speech when assessing the speakers’ L2 and L3 fluency. In the study, 37 listeners were presented with freely produced L1 Finnish, L2 English (Experiment I), and L3 Swedish (Experiment II) speech by Finnish-speaking and Finnish–Swedish bilingual speakers (N=30). The listeners first listened to the speakers’ L1 Finnish speech before assessing their target language fluency and then commented on how hearing the L1 speech samples affected their ratings. A qualitative analysis focusing on the listeners’ comments revealed that listeners attend to both temporal and non-fluency related features in L1 speech when assessing target language fluency, but there were clear individual differences across listeners’ intuitive approaches to L1 speech.

Effects of Temporal Processing on Speech-in-Noise Perception in Middle-Aged Adults.

Auditory temporal processing is a vital component of auditory stream segregation, or the process in which complex sounds are separated and organized into perceptually meaningful objects. Temporal processing can degrade prior to hearing loss, and is suggested to be a contributing factor to difficulties with speech-in-noise perception in normal-hearing listeners. The current study tested this hypothesis in middle-aged adults-an under-investigated cohort, despite being the age group where speech-in-noise difficulties are first reported. In 76 participants, three mechanisms of temporal processing were measured: peripheral auditory nerve function using electrocochleography, subcortical encoding of periodic speech cues (i.e., fundamental frequency; F0) using the frequency following response, and binaural sensitivity to temporal fine structure (TFS) using a dichotic frequency modulation detection task. Two measures of speech-in-noise perception were administered to explore how contributions of temporal processing may be mediated by different sensory demands present in the speech perception task. This study supported the hypothesis that temporal coding deficits contribute to speech-in-noise difficulties in middle-aged listeners. Poorer speech-in-noise perception was associated with weaker subcortical F0 encoding and binaural TFS sensitivity, but in different contexts, highlighting that diverse aspects of temporal processing are differentially utilized based on speech-in-noise task characteristics.

Systematic review of patient and service outcome measures of remote digital technologies for cochlear implant and hearing aid users

IntroductionThe use of telehealth for cochlear implant (CI) and hearing aid service provision has the potential to provide efficient, effective, and equitable services to users. However, clinicians require evidence that remote technologies provide care that is equal, or superior to, standard delivery. There are many outcome measures used across audiology, however there is little consensus for a standardized approach to assessment. This systematic review aims to identify the outcome measures to assess remote technologies for CI and hearing aid users, as a first step in a larger project to develop a core outcome set for remote technologies in CI users.MethodsA systematic search of seven electronic databases was conducted using a search strategy defined by PICOTS for the research question. Eligible studies were in English and published in 2012 onwards. Search strategy, selection, and data collection followed PRISMA 2020 guidelines.ResultsThis systematic literature review of 49 articles revealed over 250 discrete outcomes. Outcome measures were grouped into core areas, outcome domains, and outcome sub-domains. Studies assessing remote technology for CI users assessed significantly more outcomes in the ear and labyrinth domain (43% vs. 10%) and studies assessing remote technology in hearing aid users assessed significantly more outcomes in the cognitive (28% vs. 5%) and emotional (35% vs. 10%) functioning domains. Outcome measures within the auditory functioning domain were also significantly different, with CI studies utilizing more speech perception measures (95% vs. 21%) and hearing aid studies utilizing significantly more self-reported outcome measures (73% vs. 19%).DiscussionThe inclusion of hearing aid studies was to ensure that all key outcome domains used within remote hearing rehabilitation were captured, as well as to compare differences in outcome domains between the two user groups. There were significant differences between studies of remote technologies for CI and hearing aid users. These results will inform the ongoing development of a core outcome set for remote technologies in CI users.Systematic Review Registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=370171, identifier: CRD42022370171.

Canal-wall up cholesteatoma surgery with mastoid obliteration leads to lower rates of disease recurrence without affecting hearing outcomes.

The primary objective was to determine whether obliteration of the epitympanic area and mastoid cavity during canal wall up (CWU) cholesteatoma surgery reduces the rate of recurrent and residual cholesteatoma compared to not obliterating the same area. The secondary objective was to compare postoperative hearing outcomes between both techniques. A retrospective cohort study was conducted in a tertiary referral center. One-hundred-fourty-three ears were included of patients (≥18y) who underwent a CWU tympanomastoidectomy for cholesteatoma with or without bony obliteration between January 2015 and March 2020 in the University Medical Center Utrecht. The median follow-up was respectively 1.4 (IQR 1.1-2.2) vs. 2.0 years (IQR 1.2-3.1) (p = 0.013). All patients underwent CWU tympanomastoidectomy for cholesteatoma. For 73 ears bone dust, Bonalive® or a combination was used for obliteration of the mastoid and epitympanic area, the rest of the ears (n = 70) were not obliterated. In accordance with the Dutch protocol, included patients are planned to undergo an MRI scan with diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) one, three and five years after surgery to detect recurrent or residual cholesteatoma. The primary outcome measure was recurrent and residual cholesteatoma as evaluated by MRI-DWI and/or micro-otoscopy and confirmed by micro-otoscopy and/or revision surgery. The secondary outcome measure was the postoperative hearing. In this cohort, the group treated with canal wall up tympanomastoidectomy with subsequent bony obliteration (73 ears, 51.0%) had significantly lower recurrent (4.1%) and residual (6.8%) cholesteatoma rates than the group without obliteration (70 ears, 25.7% and 20.0%, respectively; p < 0.001). There was no significant difference between both groups in postoperative bone conduction thresholds (mean difference 2.7 dB, p = 0.221) as well as the mean air-bone gap closure 6 weeks after surgery (2.3 dB in the non-obliteration and 1.5 dB in the obliteration group, p = 0.903). Based on our results, a canal wall up tympanomastoidectomy with bony obliteration is the treatment of choice, since the recurrent and residual disease rate is lower compared to the group without obliteration. The bony obliteration technique does not seem to affect the perceptive or conductive hearing results, as these are similar between both groups.

Imagining an anti-racist pronunciation pedagogy

Abstract This article is an initial imagining of what an anti-racist pronunciation pedagogy (APP) might look like in ELT contexts such as immigrant employment training and international students studying in North American higher-education institutions. Three possible foci of an APP are briefly explored. First, this pedagogy helps students refuse the idea of the phonological superiority of the white native speaker. Furthermore, it reinforces intelligibility as a joint goal of both speaker and listener, thereby acknowledging how race and racism inform listener perceptions of speakers. Finally, an APP is an activist pedagogy that seeks to address institutionalized racism with regard to speech accent.

The transcription factor Pou4f3 is essential for the survival of postnatal and adult mouse cochlear hair cells and normal hearing.

Hair cells (HCs) of the cochlea are responsible for sound transduction and hearing perception in mammals. Genetic mutations in the transcription factor Pou4f3 cause non-syndromic autosomal dominant hearing loss in humans (DFNA15) which varies in the age of onset depending on the individual mutation. Mouse models with germline deletion or mutations in Pou4f3 have previously demonstrated its critical role in the maturation and survival of cochlear HCs during embryonic development. However, the role of Pou4f3 in auditory function and in the survival or maintenance of cochlear HCs after birth and during adulthood has not been studied. Therefore, using the inducible CreER-loxP system, we deleted Pou4f3 from mouse cochlear HCs at different postnatal ages, relevant to specific stages of HC maturation and hearing function. Elevated auditory brainstem response thresholds and significant HC loss were detected in mice with Pou4f3 deletion compared to their control littermates, regardless of the age when Pou4f3 was deleted. However, HC loss occurred more rapidly when Pou4f3 was deleted from immature HCs. Additionally, HC loss caused by Pou4f3 deletion did not affect the number of cochlear supporting cells, but caused a delayed loss of spiral ganglion neurons at 4 months after the deletion. In conclusion, Pou4f3 is necessary for the survival of cochlear HCs and normal hearing at all postnatal ages regardless of their maturation state. Our data also suggest that Pou4f3 indirectly regulates the survival of spiral ganglion neurons.