Psychoacoustic Measures Research Articles

Sensory and affective dimensions in loudness perception: Insights from young adults

Traditional psychoacoustic measures often lack accuracy in diagnosing hyperacusis and other sound tolerance disorders, possibly due to their reliance on artificial stimuli and unidimensional scales. The aim of this study was to assess loudness across sensory and affective dimensions using natural sounds, drawing on pain research wherein intensity and unpleasantness are assessed separately. We hypothesized that similar distinctions apply to loudness perception. A total of 102 young adults with normal to mild hearing loss rated 32 sound stimuli (pleasant, unpleasant, neutral, and artificial) at 10 intensities (40 to 100 dBA) on sensory and affective scales. They also completed the Hyperacusis Questionnaire, the Noise Sensitivity Scale, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Mixed linear models indicated both correlations and dissociations between scales that varied according to intensity and valence. Louder stimuli were rated as more unpleasant, but only at high intensities. On the sensory scale, sounds were perceived as louder with increasing intensity; however, at low to moderate intensities, pleasant and neutral sounds were rated as louder, whereas at higher intensities, artificial and unpleasant stimuli were rated as louder. On the affective scale, the perception of unpleasantness also increased with intensity, but less steeply. At high intensities, artificial stimuli were rated similarly to unpleasant stimuli. Noise sensitivity scores predicted louder and more unpleasant ratings, whereas depression scores were associated with softer and less pleasant perceptions. This study highlights the need for multidimensional approaches in audiology and suggests that the integration of sensory and affective scales with natural stimuli may improve the diagnosis and treatment of sound tolerance disorders.

The Effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy versus Notched Sound Therapy in Adults with Chronic Subjective Tinnitus and Normal Hearing.

Introduction Tinnitus can be distressing, and it affects the quality of life (QoL) through psychological and cognitive impairments. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and notched sound therapy (NST) are tinnitus management approaches aiming to reduce symptoms and improve QoL via two different mechanisms. The CBT attains the cognitive principle, whereas the NST initiates tinnitus habituation. Objective To evaluate the effect of CBT and NST and compare their results in the management of chronic subjective tinnitus. Methods The present prospective study involved 64 adults with normal hearing and chronic subjective tinnitus. They were subjected to history taking, basic audiological evaluation, and extended high-frequency audiometry at 10 and 12.5 kHz. The participants were divided into two equal groups, the first treated with CBT and the second treated with NST. The psychoacoustic measures of tinnitus and the Arabic Questionnaire for Tinnitus Reaction (Arabic-QTR) were used to monitor the outcomes of both therapies. Results Both groups showed significant reduction in tinnitus severity according to the Arabic-QTR and tinnitus loudness matching. Improvement in the Arabic-QTR was better in the CBT group, while tinnitus loudness improvement was better in the NST group. Conclusion Both CBT and NST are effective in the management of chronic subjective tinnitus. In a comparison of the effect of the two therapies, CBT was found to be more effective in decreasing tinnitus-related distress, whereas SNT was found to be more helpful in reducing tinnitus loudness.

A study on impact of tinnitus masking on psychophysical and tinnitus tuning curve in participants with hearing impairment suffering from severe tinnitus

Background: Tinnitus can be treated by using different pedagogies of management approaches in which tinnitus masking has been acclaimed most evidence-based approach. Psychophysical tuning curve and tinnitus tuning curve explored as least interested procedures in tinnitus research. This noteworthy but nonspecific psychophysical domain may throw a light on need of the present research. Aim of the study was to find out the effect of tinnitus masking on Psychophysical tuning curve and tinnitus tuning curve. Method: A total of 30 native Bengali speaking participants were included in this study, having mean age of 45.9 years and SD was 6.46. All the participants had unilateral subjective tinnitus with Mild to Moderately severe sensorineural hearing loss. Quasi-experimental research design was used. Dual channel audiometer (MAICO MA 53) with supra-aural TDH 39 headphone was used for psychoacoustic measurements of tinnitus (including pitch matching, loudness matching, minimum masking level etc.) and to provide tinnitus masking therapy. MATLAB version 9.5 was used to develop noise to assess PTC and TTC using Sennheiser HD 201 headphone routed through MAICO MA 53 audiometer via stereo jack and cable. Tinnitus masking therapy was carried out for 30 sessions by using regimen of MML +20 dB of masking level for 30 minutes duration for each session with matched pitch. PTC and TTC were measured before and 30 sessions-after tinnitus masking therapy. PTC was measured using 1000 Hz pure tone at 10 dBSLl as reference followed by four narrow band noise with centre frequency of 500 Hz, 1000 Hz, 2000 Hz, 4000 Hz pertaining to 312 Hz band width as developed by MATLAB software. TTC was measured using the same noise with reference to matched tinnitus pitch. All the above-mentioned conditions forced choice procedure was carried out in dBHL frame work. Results: Wilcoxon sign rank test was used at 95% confidence level to check the influence of tinnitus masking therapy on PTC and TTC measures. Significant changes were portrayed at 1000 Hz and 4000 Hz respectively in PTC measure and at 500 Hz, 1000 Hz, 2000 Hz and 4000 Hz respectively in TTC measures. Conclusion: This study preliminarily provides information regarding influence on tinnitus pitch domains which has been psychoacoustically systematically measured as PTC and TTC. These two psychoacoustic signatures may be treated as prognostic biomarker of tinnitus management in future using replicable research using different methodology or using statistical basis of data mining. At that point conclusive remarks may not throw a clear indication based on the results found in this study.

Assessing perceptual performance of non-native English speakers

About 20% of the U.S. population, many of whom are foreign born, speaks a language other than English in the home. Non-native English speakers are known to have difficulty understanding spoken English, especially in noise. For this reason, they are often excluded from psychophysical perceptual experiments. However, the perceptual abilities of these individuals are important to characterize, particularly because solutions to their unique communication difficulties are important to establish. This presentation will review perceptual data from a series of experiments that examined speech recognition in degraded listening conditions and psychophysical performance on basic auditory processing tasks. Listeners in all experiments included young adults with normal hearing whose native language was either English or Spanish. Some of the experiments also included older adults with normal hearing or hearing impairment who learned English as a second language. The results show that non-native speakers of English have considerable difficulty on all complex speech recognition tasks, which is exacerbated with advanced age. Additionally, non-native speakers of English do not perform as well as native speakers of English on some basic psychoacoustic measures. These results have implications for evaluating performance of non-native speakers in the lab and in the clinical setting.

Reliability of some tinnitus psychoacoustic measures

IntroductionPsychoacoustic measures are used to quantify tinnitus perception in clinical and research settings. Residual inhibition (RI), for instance, is defined as a temporary reduction in tinnitus loudness after the presentation of an acoustic stimulus. A novel approach was developed recently to assess the minimum sound level producing RI, the minimum residual inhibition level (MRIL), after the repeated presentation of short sounds separated by short periods of silence. Two studies were performed: the objective of the study 1 was to assess the reliability and the reproducibility of this measures as well as others, including the minimum masking level (MML). The objective of study 2 was to assess whether a smoother envelope of the sound would produce similar levels of MML and MRIL and improve listening comfort.MethodsThirty participants with chronic tinnitus completed each study. For study 1, MML and MRIL were obtained at the seven standard audiometric frequencies at around 1-month interval. For study 2, MML and MRIL were obtained using triangular and trapezoidal-shaped NBN signals centered at three different frequencies.ResultsThe mean absolute test-retest difference was 3 dB for both MML and MRIL [Intraclass correlation, ICC (2,1) of 0.70 and 0.84, respectively] for the measures obtained in test and retest (86% of cases for MML and 21% of cases for complete MRIL). While the two types of envelopes provided comparable MRIL, the “triangular” envelope provided more listening comfort.DiscussionIn sum, the novel approach provides quick and reliable MML and MRIL measurement, with the potential benefit of subtyping participants.

Drone auralization model with statistical synthesis of amplitude and frequency modulations

This paper presents a drone auralization model that reproduces the spectro-temporal and spatial characteristics of a drone during flight. Focusing on perceptual plausibility, the time-variant processes are modeled by taking into account the statistical amplitude and frequency modulation distributions of a reference drone sound. For completeness, the far-field directivity is extracted based on time-variant wave backpropagation from microphone array signals. Both components consider a combined level calibration with regard to the reconstructed sound pressure on a spherical surface around the source. With regard to reproducibility, this paper is accompanied by supplemental data to present a synthesis model including the oscillator and digital filter coefficients for procedural audio synthesis. From evaluation, the model shows good agreement by comparison of psychoacoustic measures of the synthesized drone to a recorded reference. The drone auralization model can be applied in future research on urban soundscapes where Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) may appear in a great variety of use cases. Furthermore, it can deliver input data for simulation tools where the spatial radiation characteristics of a drone should be included, such as the development of array-based drone detection.

Improving Audiology Student Training by Clinical Simulation of Tinnitus: A Glimpse of the Lived Experience of Tinnitus.

Student audiology training in tinnitus evaluation and management is heterogeneous and has been found to be insufficient. We designed a new clinical simulation laboratory for training students on psychoacoustic measurements of tinnitus: one student plays the role of the tinnitus patient, wearing a device producing a sound like tinnitus on one ear, while another student plays the role of the audiologist, evaluating their condition. The objective of the study was to test this new clinical simulation laboratory of tinnitus from the perspective of the students. This study reports the findings from twenty-one audiology students (20 female and 1 male, mean age = 29, SD = 7.7) who participated in this laboratory for a mandatory audiology class at the Laval University of Quebec. Three students had hearing loss (one mild, two moderate). All students played the role of both the clinician and the patient, alternately. They also had to fill out a questionnaire about their overall experience of the laboratory. The qualitative analysis revealed three main themes: "Benefits of the laboratory on future practice", "Barriers and facilitators of the psychoacoustic assessment", and "Awareness of living with tinnitus". The participants reported that this experience would have a positive impact on their ability to manage tinnitus patients in their future career. This fast, cheap, and effective clinical simulation method could be used by audiology and other healthcare educators to strengthen students' skills and confidence in tinnitus evaluation and management. The protocol is made available to all interested parties.

Neural Correlates of Individual Differences in Speech-in-Noise Performance in a Large Cohort of Cochlear Implant Users.

Understanding speech-in-noise (SiN) is a complex task that recruits multiple cortical subsystems. Individuals vary in their ability to understand SiN. This cannot be explained by simple peripheral hearing profiles, but recent work by our group ( Kim et al. 2021 , Neuroimage ) highlighted central neural factors underlying the variance in SiN ability in normal hearing (NH) subjects. The present study examined neural predictors of SiN ability in a large cohort of cochlear-implant (CI) users. We recorded electroencephalography in 114 postlingually deafened CI users while they completed the California consonant test: a word-in-noise task. In many subjects, data were also collected on two other commonly used clinical measures of speech perception: a word-in-quiet task (consonant-nucleus-consonant) word and a sentence-in-noise task (AzBio sentences). Neural activity was assessed at a vertex electrode (Cz), which could help maximize eventual generalizability to clinical situations. The N1-P2 complex of event-related potentials (ERPs) at this location were included in multiple linear regression analyses, along with several other demographic and hearing factors as predictors of SiN performance. In general, there was a good agreement between the scores on the three speech perception tasks. ERP amplitudes did not predict AzBio performance, which was predicted by the duration of device use, low-frequency hearing thresholds, and age. However, ERP amplitudes were strong predictors for performance for both word recognition tasks: the California consonant test (which was conducted simultaneously with electroencephalography recording) and the consonant-nucleus-consonant (conducted offline). These correlations held even after accounting for known predictors of performance including residual low-frequency hearing thresholds. In CI-users, better performance was predicted by an increased cortical response to the target word, in contrast to previous reports in normal-hearing subjects in whom speech perception ability was accounted for by the ability to suppress noise. These data indicate a neurophysiological correlate of SiN performance, thereby revealing a richer profile of an individual's hearing performance than shown by psychoacoustic measures alone. These results also highlight important differences between sentence and word recognition measures of performance and suggest that individual differences in these measures may be underwritten by different mechanisms. Finally, the contrast with prior reports of NH listeners in the same task suggests CI-users performance may be explained by a different weighting of neural processes than NH listeners.

The effects of broadband elicitor duration on a psychoacoustic measure of cochlear gain reduction.

Physiological and psychoacoustic studies of the medial olivocochlear reflex (MOCR) in humans have often relied on long duration elicitors (>100 ms). This is largely due to previous research using otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) that found multiple MOCR time constants, including time constants in the 100s of milliseconds, when elicited by broadband noise. However, the effect of the duration of a broadband noise elicitor on similar psychoacoustic tasks is currently unknown. The current study measured the effects of ipsilateral broadband noise elicitor duration on psychoacoustic gain reduction estimated from a forward-masking paradigm. Analysis showed that both masker type and elicitor duration were significant main effects, but no interaction was found. Gain reduction time constants were ∼46 ms for the masker present condition and ∼78 ms for the masker absent condition (ranging from ∼29 to 172 ms), both similar to the fast time constants reported in the OAE literature (70-100 ms). Maximum gain reduction was seen for elicitor durations of ∼200 ms. This is longer than the 50-ms duration which was found to produce maximum gain reduction with a tonal on-frequency elicitor. Future studies of gain reduction may use 150-200 ms broadband elicitors to maximally or near-maximally stimulate the MOCR.

Test-retest Reliability of Various Psychoacoustic Tests in Psycon Application

Background and Aim: Psychoacoustics includes studying the perceived effects of changes in sound intensity, temporal, and frequency aspects that are critical for speech perception. Psycon is one such software used in studies to assess psychoacoustic abilities. Psycon has the potential for wide clinical applications in psychoacoustic research and relies on Auditory syntaX (AUX), a program designed specifically to handle auditory signals. The current study aimed to determine the test-retest reliability of the Psycon application for differential sensitivity measures of frequency, intensity, duration and silence. Methods: The study included 39 participants with normal hearing sensitivity. Psychoacoustic measures, namely, gap detection threshold, duration discrimination threshold, difference limen of intensity, and difference limen of frequency, were used to assess test-retest reliability. The test-retest reliability of all measures was checked in two separate sessions within one day. Results: The reliability of each measure was measured using Cronbach’s alpha. Test-retest reliability of various psychoacoustic tests measured with Psycon ranges from good to excellent. difference limen of frequency had the highest reliability, followed by duration discrimination thresholds, difference limen of intensity, and gap detection thresholds. Conclusion: Psycon appears to be a reliable tool for assessing different psychoacoustic abilities. Keywords: Psycon; psychoacoustics; reliability; difference limen; perception

Perceptual and Computational Estimates of Vocal Breathiness and Roughness in Sustained Phonation and Connected Speech

Clinical assessment of voice quality (VQ) often uses a combination of sustained phonations and more prolonged and more complex vocalizations. The purpose of this study was to compare the perceived vocal breathiness and vocal roughness of sustained phonations and connected speech over a wide range of dysphonia severity and to evaluate their relationship with acoustic measures and bioinspired models of breathiness and roughness. VQ dimension-specific single-variable matching task (SVMT) was used to index the perceived breathiness or roughness of five male and five female talkers on the basis of a sustained /a/ phonation and the 5th CAPE-V sentence. Acoustic measures of cepstral peak, autocorrelation peak and psychoacoustic measures of pitch strength, and temporal envelope standard deviation (EnvSD) was used to predict perceived breathiness and roughness judgments obtained from 10 listeners, respectively. High intra- and inter-listener reliability was observed for sustained phonations and connected speech. Perceived breathiness and roughness of sustained vowels and sentences obtained using SVMT were highly correlated for most dysphonic voices. The pitch strength model of breathiness was able to capture larger amount of perceptual variance compared to cepstral peak in both vowels and sentences. Autocorrelation peak was strongly correlated to perceived roughness in sentences while EnvSD was strongly correlated to perceived roughness in vowels. Results provide evidence that perception of VQ via SVMT can be successfully extended to connected speech. Computational models of VQ can be easily adapted to connected speech. Such automated models of VQ perception are valuable due to their computational efficiency and their ability to accurately capture the non-linearities of the human auditory system.

Effects of Maturation and Chronological Aging on Auditory Spatial Processing: A Cross-Sectional Study Across Life Span

The primary aim of the research was to document spatial acuity changes across the life span using a battery of psychoacoustical and perceptual tests. The secondary aim was to identify the optimal metric for measuring spatial processing changes across the life span (ages 10-70 years). A cross-sectional study comprising 115 participants with clinically normal hearing was conducted. Purposive sampling was adopted to recruit participants in the study, who were divided into six groups based on their chronological age. Temporal, intensity, spectral, and composite correlates of spatial acuity were assessed using psychoacoustic measures and perceptual questionnaires. The temporal (interaural time difference [ITD]) and intensity correlates (interaural level difference [ILD]) of spatial perception were obtained using a MATLAB (v 2020a), whereas the composite correlate (virtual auditory space identification scores [VASIs]) and perceptual ratings of spatial processing were measured using Paradigm software and speech spatial and qualities in Kannada (SSQ-K). Results across all tests (multivariate analyses variance: 6 age groups × 4 tests, followed by post hoc tests) consistently demonstrate poor ITD and ILD thresholds and overall lower spatial accuracy (VASI, SSQ-K) with increasing age. Discriminant function analyses (DFAs) revealed that VASI had a higher predictive power in capturing age-related changes in auditory spatial processing. The group segregation on spatial performance in DFA became evident after 50 years. This study provides evidence of gradual change in all three correlates of spatial processing, with statistically demonstrable deficits appearing from fourth decade of life on VASI and fifth decade of life on binaural processing.

Effects of acute ischemic stroke on binaural perception.

Stroke-induced lesions at different locations in the brain can affect various aspects of binaural hearing, including spatial perception. Previous studies found impairments in binaural hearing, especially in patients with temporal lobe tumors or lesions, but also resulting from lesions all along the auditory pathway from brainstem nuclei up to the auditory cortex. Currently, structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is used in the clinical treatment routine of stroke patients. In combination with structural imaging, an analysis of binaural hearing enables a better understanding of hearing-related signaling pathways and of clinical disorders of binaural processing after a stroke. However, little data are currently available on binaural hearing in stroke patients, particularly for the acute phase of stroke. Here, we sought to address this gap in an exploratory study of patients in the acute phase of ischemic stroke. We conducted psychoacoustic measurements using two tasks of binaural hearing: binaural tone-in-noise detection, and lateralization of stimuli with interaural time- or level differences. The location of the stroke lesion was established by previously acquired MRI data. An additional general assessment included three-frequency audiometry, cognitive assessments, and depression screening. Fifty-five patients participated in the experiments, on average 5 days after their stroke onset. Patients whose lesions were in different locations were tested, including lesions in brainstem areas, basal ganglia, thalamus, temporal lobe, and other cortical and subcortical areas. Lateralization impairments were found in most patients with lesions within the auditory pathway. Lesioned areas at brainstem levels led to distortions of lateralization in both hemifields, thalamus lesions were correlated with a shift of the whole auditory space, whereas some cortical lesions predominantly affected the lateralization of stimuli contralateral to the lesion and resulted in more variable responses. Lateralization performance was also found to be affected by lesions of the right, but not the left, basal ganglia, as well as by lesions in non-auditory cortical areas. In general, altered lateralization was common in the stroke group. In contrast, deficits in tone-in-noise detection were relatively scarce in our sample of lesion patients, although a significant number of patients with multiple lesion sites were not able to complete the task.

Combined Bifrontal Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation and Auditory Stroop Training in Chronic Tinnitus.

Patients with tinnitus experience difficulties in cognitive control and executive functions. Many of which are regarded as the cause of tinnitus rather than its complications. Methods for the improvement of inhibitory and cognitive control seem to be effective in the control of tinnitus. In this study, transcranial direct current stimulation and auditory Stroop exercise were have been to improve inhibitory control and the ability to ignore tinnitus in patients suffering from chronic tinnitus. 34 patients with chronic tinnitus (> 6months) were randomly divided into two groups. The first group consist of 17 patients who received 6 sessions of tDCS followed by 6 sessions of auditory Stroop training. The second group received 6 sessions of sham tDCS followed by 6 sessions of auditory Stroop training. The initial evaluations including pure tone audiometry, psychoacoustic measurements, tinnitus handicap inventory (THI) survey and visual analog scale (VAS) of annoyance and loudness were performed before, immediately after, and one month after the tDCS, sham, and Stroop training. The results of this study revealed a significant reduction in THI score, VAS of loudness, and annoyance of tinnitus. A significant correlation was detected between the reaction time of incongruent words in the Stroop task and improvement of THI score and VAS of annoyance. Combined tDCS and Stroop training efficiently improve chronic tinnitus.

Developing multivariate models for predicting the levels of multi-dimensional critical perceptions due to metro noise inside buildings

With the rapid expansion of urban metro systems, the negative emotions induced by metro noise inside buildings have caused widespread concern. Although a large number of models have been established to predict the various negative perceptions caused by road traffic or aircraft noises, there is a lack of model to evaluate the diverse negative perceptions due to metro noise. Accordingly, this study selected the multi-dimensional perceptions which could better capture the metro noise responses inside buildings as critical perceptions and developed the optimal multivariate models for predicting the levels of multi-dimensional critical perceptions. Seventy-nine subjects participated in the experiment and were exposed to a series of metro noise samples before being asked to cast their multi-dimensional perception votes and activity disturbance votes. The results showed that compared to rumble loudness, low-frequency perception, annoyance and non-acceptance, subjective loudness, depression, discomfort and dissatisfaction had superior psychometric properties (validity and internal consistency) and were determined as the critical perceptions to describe the metro noise reactions. Besides, as for the levels of multi-dimensional critical perceptions, they correlated well with A-weighted, C-weighted and Z-weighted equivalent sound pressure level (LAeq, LCeq and LZeq), among psychoacoustic measures, loudness and roughness primarily impacted them, and the sensitivity, stance and adaptability to metro noise were their main non-acoustic influencing factors. Furthermore, the levels of multi-dimensional critical perceptions could be evaluated most effectively based on LAeq, compared to the levels of depression and discomfort, the levels of subjective loudness and dissatisfaction were more sensitive to the change of LAeq (slightly higher slopes). After adding the three major non-acoustic influencing factors (the sensitivity, stance and adaptability to metro noise), the coefficient of determination (R2) values of the prediction models for the levels of multi-dimensional critical perceptions reached their highest levels, and the levels of multi-dimensional critical perceptions could be well estimated with R2 values close to or greater than 0.5.

Long and winding road: Training progress and trainability variation across a psychoacoustic experiment in penguins

Operant conditioning has been used in a variety of animal species both in captivity (laboratories, zoological institutions) and in the wild. Such training may enrich the environment of animals or facilitate their manipulation but it can also be used to answer scientific questions (so far primarily regarding sense modalities). However, the trainability of animals may vary because of cognitive differences between species or because of individual and external factors within species. The assumed difficulty of training seabirds presumably explains, why they have been mostly overlooked in studies based on operant conditioning, such as psycho-acoustic studies. Here, as part of a broad project examining the hearing capacity of penguins, we trained four captive Humboldt penguins (Spheniscus humboldti) for psychoacoustic trials, following well-established operant conditioning methods. In addition to describing the different steps of the training of penguins, we examined how the trainability of each individual (concentration, response to call and stationing quality) was affected by different life stages (moult, pairing interest) and environmental conditions (daylength, temperature, humidity, visitors). After 22 months and ca. 700 trials, all four penguins were ready for psychoacoustic measurements, which in turn extended over 22 additional months. However, the trainability of penguins was not stable over these 44 months, as their concentration decreased over time (presumably because of habituation) while the quality of their call response and stationing increased for most of them (presumably reflecting learning progress). Moreover, all trainability parameters were strongly reduced during moult while the effects of pairing interest and environmental conditions were more variable between individuals. Our study demonstrates that, despite the length and the instability of training as well as some interindividual differences in trainability, it is possible to train captive penguins for scientific purposes. As such, we hope that our study opens the path for further studies based on the training of animals, for which training is assumed to be challenging but for which scientific data are urgently needed because of their vulnerability in the face of environmental changes.

How much individualization is required to predict the individual effect of suprathreshold processing deficits? Assessing Plomp's distortion component with psychoacoustic detection thresholds and FADE

Plomp introduced an empirical separation of the increased speech recognition thresholds (SRT) in listeners with a sensorineural hearing loss into an Attenuation (A) component (which can be compensated by amplification) and a non-compensable Distortion (D) component. Previous own research backed up this notion by speech recognition models that derive their SRT prediction from the individual audiogram with or without a psychoacoustic measure of suprathreshold processing deficits. To determine the precision in separating the A and D component for the individual listener with various individual measures and individualized models, SRTs with 40 listeners with a variation in hearing impairment were obtained in quiet, stationary noise, and fluctuating noise (ICRA 5–250 and babble). Both the clinical audiogram and an adaptive, precise sweep audiogram were obtained as well as tone-in-noise detection thresholds at four frequencies to characterize the individual hearing impairment. For predicting the SRT, the FADE-model (which is based on machine learning) was used with either of the two audiogram procedures and optionally the individual tone-in-noise detection thresholds. The results indicate that the precisely measured swept tone audiogram allows for a more precise prediction of the individual SRT in comparison to the clinical audiogram (RMS error of 4.3 dB vs. 6.4 dB, respectively). While an estimation from the precise audiogram and FADE performed equally well in predicting the individual A and D component, the further refinement of including the tone-in-noise detection threshold with FADE led to a slight improvement of prediction accuracy (RMS error of 3.3 dB, 4.6 dB and 1.4 dB, for SRT, A and D component, respectively). Hence, applying FADE is advantageous for scientific purposes where a consistent modeling of different psychoacoustical effects in the same listener with a minimum amount of assumptions is desirable. For clinical purposes, however, a precisely measured audiogram and an estimation of the expected D component using a linear regression appears to be a satisfactory first step towards precision audiology.

A device and an app for the diagnosis and self-management of tinnitus.

Tinnitus is an annoying ringing in the ears, in varying shades and intensities. Tinnitus can affect a person’s overall health and social well-being (e.g., sleep problems, trouble concentrating, anxiety, depression and inability to work). The diagnostic procedure of tinnitus usually consists of three steps: an audiological examination, psychoacoustic measurement, and a disability evaluation. All steps are performed by physicians, who use specialised hardware/software and administer questionnaires. This paper presents a system, to be used by patients, for the diagnosis and self-management of tinnitus. The system is made up of an app and a device. The app is responsible for executing – through the device – a part of the required audiological and psychoacoustic examinations, as well as administering questionnaires that evaluate disability. The paper reviews the quality of the automated audiometric reporting and the user experience provided by the app. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to support the findings. The results show that automated reporting is comparable with that of physicians and that user experience was improved by re-designing and re-developing the acufenometry of the app. As for the user experience, two experts in Human-Computer Interaction evaluated the first version of the app: their agreement was good (Cohen’s K = 0.639) and the average rating of the app was 1.43/2. Also patients evaluated the app in its initial version: the satisfactory tasks (audiometry and questionnaires) were rated as 4.31/5 and 4.65/5. The unsatisfactory task (acufenometry) was improved and the average rating increased from 2.86/5 to 3.96/5 (p = 0.0005). Finally, the general usability of the app was increased from the initial value of 73.6/100 to 85.4/100 (p = 0.0003). The strengths of the project are twofold. Firstly, the automated reporting feature, which – to the best of our knowledge – is the first attempt in this area. Secondly, the overall app usability, which was evaluated and improved during its development. In summary, the conclusion drawn from the conducted project is that the system works as expected, and despite some weaknesses, also the replication of the device would not be expensive, and it can be used in different scenarios.

Effect of Ipsilateral, Contralateral or Bilateral Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in Patients with Lateralized Tinnitus: A Placebo-Controlled Randomized Study.

The relative benefit of ipsilateral, contralateral, and bilateral repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for tinnitus treatment remains unclear, especially for patients with lateralized tinnitus. In this study, we compared outcomes after 10 sessions of 1-Hz rTMS at 110% of resting motor threshold over a two-week period. In total, 104 right-handed patients with lateralized subjective tinnitus were randomly divided into four groups according to rTMS treatment: Left (n = 29), Right (n = 23), Bilateral (n = 30), and Sham stimulation (n = 22). Outcomes included estimates of tinnitus severity, psychological state, and psychoacoustic measures. Patients with left- or right-sided tinnitus were similarly distributed across treatment groups. There were no significant changes in outcome measures for the Right or Sham treatment groups. For the Left and Bilateral groups, tinnitus severity was significantly lower after treatment (p < 0.05). The reduction in tinnitus severity was largest for ipsilateral treatment in the Left group. The overall response rate was 56.1% for the Left group, 46.7% for the Bilateral group, 8.3% for the Right group, and 8.3% for the Sham group. For the Left and Bilateral groups, the response rate was larger for patients with left- than right-sided tinnitus. Changes in tinnitus severity were best predicted by changes in anxiety, depression, and the loudness of the tinnitus. The results suggests that rTMS on the left temporoparietal cortex is more effective for patients with left-sided than with right-sided tinnitus.

PORÓWNANIE RÓŻNYCH POMIARÓW PSYCHOAKUSTYCZNYCH Z ZASTOSOWANIEM DWÓCH PROGRAMÓW: PSYCON I METODY NAJWIĘKSZEJ WIARYGODNOŚCI W MATLAB

BackgroundPsychoacoustic abilities play a crucial role in speech perception. Psycon and Matlab’s maximum likelihood procedure (MLP) are two commonly used pieces of software to assess psychoacoustic ability. The present work compares a number of psychoacoustic abilities based on Psycon and MLP.Material and methodsThere were 39 participants with normal hearing sensitivity who were enrolled in this study. The psychoacoustic measures assessed were gap detection threshold (GDT), duration discrimination threshold (DDT), difference limen of intensity (DLI), and difference limen of frequency (DLF). These measures were done using both Psycon and MLP, and a comparison was made between the two. An attempt was made to keep the stimuli specifications similar in Psycon and MLP except for the duration of stimuli in GDT.ResultsA Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to determine the significance of differences between MLP and Psycon. The results showed no significant difference in DLI, DLF, and DDT between MLP and Psycon; however, a significant difference was found in GDT.ConclusionsIt can be concluded that the results of DLI, DLF, and DDT can be generalized between Psycon and MLP. However, further research with a larger sample would strengthen the current study’s findings.