Speech Frequency Range Research Articles

Genotype-phenotype analysis of hearing function in patients with DFNB1A caused by the c.-23+1G>A splice site variant of the GJB2 gene (Cx26).

The audiological features of hearing loss (HL) in patients with autosomal recessive deafness type 1A (DFNB1A) caused by splice site variants of the GJB2 gene are less studied than those of patients with other variants of this gene. In this study, we present the audiological features of DFNB1A in a large cohort of 134 patients with the homozygous splice site variant c.-23+1G>A and 34 patients with other biallelic GJB2 genotypes (n = 168 patients with DFNB1A). We found that the preservation of hearing thresholds in the speech frequency range (PTA0.5,1.0,2.0,4.0 kHz) in patients with the c.[-23+1G>A];[-23+1G>A] genotype is significantly better than in patients with the "severe" c.[35delG];[35delG] genotype (p = 0.005) and significantly worse than in patients with the "mild" c.[109G>A];[109G>A] genotype (p = 0.041). This finding indicates a "medium" pathological effect of this splice site variant on hearing function. A detailed clinical and audiological analysis showed that in patients with the c.[-23+1G>A];[-23+1G>A] genotype, HL is characterized as congenital or early onset (57.5% onset before 12 months), sensorineural (97.8%), bilateral, symmetrical (82.8%), variable in severity (from mild to profound HL, median hearing threshold in PTA0.5,1.0,2.0,4.0 kHz is 86.73±21.98 dB), with an extremely "flat" audioprofile, and with a tendency toward slow progression (a positive correlation of hearing thresholds with age, r = 0.144, p = 0.041). In addition, we found that the hearing thresholds in PTA0.5,1.0,2.0,4.0 kHz were significantly better preserved in females (82.34 dB) than in males (90.62 dB) (p = 0.001). We can conclude that in patients with DFNB1A caused by the c.-23+1G>A variant, male sex is associated with deteriorating auditory function; in contrast, female sex is a protective factor.

Exposure to bilingual or monolingual maternal speech during pregnancy affects the neurophysiological encoding of speech sounds in neonates differently.

Exposure to maternal speech during the prenatal period shapes speech perception and linguistic preferences, allowing neonates to recognize stories heard frequently in utero and demonstrating an enhanced preference for their mother's voice and native language. Yet, with a high prevalence of bilingualism worldwide, it remains an open question whether monolingual or bilingual maternal speech during pregnancy influence differently the fetus' neural mechanisms underlying speech sound encoding. In the present study, the frequency-following response (FFR), an auditory evoked potential that reflects the complex spectrotemporal dynamics of speech sounds, was recorded to a two-vowel /oa/ stimulus in a sample of 129 healthy term neonates within 1 to 3 days after birth. Newborns were divided into two groups according to maternal language usage during the last trimester of gestation (monolingual; bilingual). Spectral amplitudes and spectral signal-to-noise ratios (SNR) at the stimulus fundamental (F0) and first formant (F1) frequencies of each vowel were, respectively, taken as measures of pitch and formant structure neural encoding. Our results reveal that while spectral amplitudes at F0 did not differ between groups, neonates from bilingual mothers exhibited a lower spectral SNR. Additionally, monolingually exposed neonates exhibited a higher spectral amplitude and SNR at F1 frequencies. We interpret our results under the consideration that bilingual maternal speech, as compared to monolingual, is characterized by a greater complexity in the speech sound signal, rendering newborns from bilingual mothers more sensitive to a wider range of speech frequencies without generating a particularly strong response at any of them. Our results contribute to an expanding body of research indicating the influence of prenatal experiences on language acquisition and underscore the necessity of including prenatal language exposure in developmental studies on language acquisition, a variable often overlooked yet capable of influencing research outcomes.

Improved tactile speech perception using audio-to-tactile sensory substitution with formant frequency focusing

Haptic 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.

Factors Affecting Speech Intelligibility - A Developmental Study

There is a dearth of research on speech intelligibility in typically developing Tamil speaking children and no published study was reported on the relation between factors such as phonetic accuracy, rate of speech, average amplitude, and frequency range in Tamil speaking children. The aim of this study is to investigate the development of speech intelligibility in typically developing Tamil speaking children in the age range of 2 to 6.11 years. A total of 150 typically developing native tamil speaking children between the age range of 2 and 6.11 years were further divided into 5 groups, with each group consisting of 30 children. Nine sentences in Tamil with increasing complexity was developed to study the developmental trend of speech intelligibility. Each child was seated comfortably and pictures of sentences were randomly presented one after the other as the investigator say the sentence describing the picture. The child was instructed to repeat the sentences after the investigator. Acoustic analysis was done using CSL Model 4500 and frequency range , intensity and rate of speech were calculated. Perceptual analysis was done using the transcription sheets, by a speech language pathologist. Subsequently, percentage of phoneme correct for words and sentences were calculated, separately. Independent ‘t’ test, pearson’s rank correlation, spearman’s rank correlation and regression analysis were conducted to find the predictor variables of speech intelligibility. Results revealed, percentage of phoneme correct increased with age and there were no significant gender differences for words and sentences. It was also found that PPC of sentences, intensity average and ROS has a strong positive correlation. As PPC values increases (with age), intensity and rate of speech also increases. Frequency range has no correlation with any of the variables like intensity, PPC and ROS.

Analysis of the effectiveness of hearing solutions for congenital malformation of the middle and outer ear (CMMOE)

Background There are no reports about comprehensive comparative analysis of the effects after various hearing surgery solutions for congenital malformation of the middle and outer ear (CMMOE). Aims/objectives To analyze the improvement of Average Air-Conduction Threshold (AACT) of pure tone after various hearing surgery solutions for CMMOE and provide a reference for the selection of accurate hearing solutions. Materials and methods A retrospective analysis of 159 cases (170 ears) with CMMOE submitted to various ear surgery solutions, including: (1) Three situations of outer ear canal (OEC): ① atresia 85 ears, ② stenosis 28 ears, and ③ normal 57 ears. (2) Three commonly used hearing solutions: eardrum repair 53 ears, Porp 44 ears and Piston 32 ears implantation. (3) Three OEC situations with different hearing solutions: type I. Reconstruction of OEC (r-OEC), type II. r-OEC and/or different tympanoplasty, including ① eardrum repair, ② release of ossicular chain, ③ Porp implantation, and ④ Torp implantation, type III. Piston implantation with fenestration of the inner ear. Compare AACT of postoperative short term (0.5 years) or long term (0.5–10 years) and preoperative in the speech frequency range of 0.5–4 kHz to assess efficacy. If the sample number ≥10, and not subject to normal distribution, the Kruskal–Wallis multi-sample rank sum test is used for the comparison of multiple groups and Wilcoxon’s rank sum test for two groups, with P < 0.05 being statistically significant. If the sample size <10, the standard of clinical efficacy is one frequency improvement value ≥15 dB HL, or 10 dB HL ≤2 frequency improvements <15 dB HL at 0.125–8 KHz. Results Intra-group comparison of AACT: (1) three situations of OEC: atresia, stenosis and normal all had P < 0.05 postoperatively in short term, while in long term only the normal group had P < 0.05. (2) Three commonly used hearing solutions: eardrum repair, Porp and Piston implantation all had P < 0.05 in short and long terms, except for eardrum repair P >0 .05 in long term. (3) Three OEC situations with different hearing solutions: 1) Atresia of OEC: Porp and Piston implantation, r-OEC and release of ossicular chain were effective in short term and were not effective in long term, and the eardrum repair was not effective in both short and long term. 2) Stenosis of OEC: eardrum repair, Porp and Piston implantation were effective in short and long term. r-OEC P >0 .05 for short and long term, Torp implantation was not effective in long term, 3) Normal of OEC: Porp, Torp and Piston implantation were all P < 0.05 in short and long term except for Torp >0.05 in long term, and release of ossicular chain is both short and long term clinically effective. The AACT values of postoperative in long term for three groups of atresia, stenosis, normal of OEC are over 58.7 dB HL (except Porp implantation 52.5 dB HL), 51.3 dB HL (except Porp implantation 42.5 dB HL), and 37.5 dB HL (except Torp implantation are 32.6 dB HL), respectively. Conclusions and significance Intra-group comparison of AACT. (1) Three groups of the atresia, stenosis and normal of OEC are all effective in short term, while in long term only the normal group is effective. (2) The three most commonly used surgical solutions of eardrum repair, Porp and Piston implantation are effective in short and long terms, except for long term eardrum repair. (3) Three OEC situations with different hearing solutions: some of surgical solutions were effective in short term or long term for CMMOE, but based on the AACT values of postoperative in long term for three OEC situations, it is better to choose a hearing device for atresia of OEC, comprehensive review of surgical or hearing device for stenosis of OEC. Surgery can be considered for normal OEC.

The use of a combined flap in closed-type tympanoplasty

Introduction. Cartilage graft has been used in otosurgery since 1959. Cartilage resistance to pressure drops in the tympanic cavity and blood supply deficit in the early postoperative period favorably distinguish it from autofascia. When performing myringoplasty, it is important to create conditions for the formation of a neotympanic membrane that has the same three-dimensional spatial configuration as the native tympanic membrane with full contact of the membrane with the bone tympanic ring and the handle of the malleus. Also, the formation of the neotympanic membrane (myringoplasty) is a key step in tympanoplasty with ossiculoplasty, which ensures not only the restoration of the tightness of the tympanic membrane, but also the contact and proper fixation of the distal part of the prosthesis used to replace the lost elements of the auditory ossicular chain.Objective. Evaluate the effectiveness of closed-type tympanoplasty by using a combined autofascial-autocartilaginous flap.Materials and methods. A study group was formed, including patients who underwent tympanoplasty of types 1–3 according to M. Tos according to the proposed method of using an autofascial-autocartilaginous flap (343 patients), and a comparison group, including patients who underwent type 1 tympanoplasty with using autofascia (54 patients).Results. Long-term anatomical results showed greater stability of the neotympanic membrane formed by the proposed method (2% reperforations). Functional results in the range of speech frequencies had no significant differences. Comparison of functional results in the high frequency range demonstrated a significant advantage of the proposed technique.Conclusion. The conclusion is drawn that the proposed method of forming a neotympanic membrane close in configuration to the native tympanic membrane provides a high functional result with a reduction in the gap in sound conduction between the diseased and healthy ear to 5–10 dB at frequencies of 0.5–16 kHz.

A preliminary study on wideband acoustic immittance of infants with normal bilateral middle ear function at the age of 1-5 months

Objective:To explore preliminary characteristics of wideband acoustic immittance of 1- to 5-month-old infants who have bilateral normal middle ear function, so as to contribute to the clinical application of WAI test in the evaluation of middle ear function in infants. Methods:1- to 5-month-old infants were included. After the normal function of bilateral middle ear was determined by otoacoustic emission and high frequency acoustic immittance test, WAI test was performed and the relevant data were collected and analyzed. Results:There was no statistical difference in absorbance at the same frequency between the left ear and right ear of each group（P>0.05）. Absorbance of 4000 Hz increased at first and then decreased with the growth of physiological age, and the sound energy absorption rate of other frequencies decreased except 2670 Hz and 3364 Hz. Conclusion:The outcome of this study shows that it is necessary to establish the national normal value of WAI in 1- to 5-month-old infants who have bilateral normal middle ear function. The purpose of the development of middle ear system is to ensure that sounds in the speech frequency range can be transmitted and heard more effectively.

Outcome of language therapy in bimodal-fit children versus unilateral cochlear implant children in bilateral sensorineural hearing impairment: a case-control study

BackgroundTreating hearing-impaired children aims not only to improve their hearing but also to enhance language acquisition capability. In our community, the CI usually performed on one side because of financial issues at least for a period of time. Consequently, the brain may neglect the unfitted ear. Contralateral hearing aid is an alternative solution when bilateral CI is unavailable. Our purpose is to evaluate the language outcome in bimodal-fit children who using cochlear implant (CI) and contralateral hearing aid (HA) compared to children using unilateral cochlear implant only.ResultsIn this case-control study, 15 children who are using binaural-bimodal stimulation by unilateral CI and contralateral HA and 15 children using monaural cochlear implant received auditory training and language therapy. All participants have been assigned randomly from the Phoniatrics and Audiology clinics. Filtering of patients was made to get the two groups matched regarding age, sex, family motivation, age of implantation, and age of hearing impairment. Evaluation and language therapy were performed in the Phoniatrics clinic. Language progress in each group was compared over different time-points. Also, it was compared between the two groups in each time-point. Both groups revealed significant language improvement over time with intensive auditory training and language therapy. In addition, the bimodal-fit children showed better language and speech outcomes than the unilateral CI children in receptive semantics, expressive semantics, word class, mean length of utterance, and speech intelligibility. The differences were significant with P-values 0.047, 0.034, 0.03, 0.016, and 0.028, respectively, after 9 months of rehabilitation.ConclusionBimodal-fit children showed better improvement in language than the unilateral CI group. The contralateral hearing aid may be complementary to the unilateral cochlear implant by covering wider speech frequency range. Also, it prevents auditory deprivation and enables binaural hearing with positive impact on language outcome.

Personal audio systems based on tangent line method (A design example)

Tangent line method is applied to generate a listening point at a designated distance from a linear loudspeaker array. The array examined in this study consists of 16 loudspeakers, and the length of the array is 0.75m. The designated distance of the listening point is 0.5m. Sound pressure distribution at 1850Hz, which is the middle frequency of speech frequency range from 300 to 3400Hz, is investigated via computer simulation and experiment. The results show that the proposed method can confine the acoustic field near the listening point.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea Detection Using Speech Signals with High Frequency Components

In this study, the Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) detection using speech signals during awake is considered. Traditional speech based OSA detection methods adopt traditional features (Formants, MFCC, etc.) on normal speech frequency range (&lt;6kHz). However, it ignores the signal components outside this range that usually appear in pathological voices. In this paper, higher order traditional speech features (with more high frequency components) are adopted for detection. To better characterize OSA patients’ speech, a high frequency feature set is proposed. It consists of the traditional speech features with optimized parameters and a new proposed feature: High frequency energy. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) based Sequence Forward Feature Selection (PCASFFS) are adopted as feature selection. In the simulation using 66 OSA patients’ speech signals, it achieves an accuracy of 84.85% for multi-class (4 levels) detection with the proposed high frequency feature set using quadratic discriminant analysis classifier (QDA).

Too Loud: Noise Exposure in Everyday Life is Causing Hearing Loss

Too Loud: Noise Exposure in Everyday Life is Causing Hearing Loss

Hearing Screening Results of the Elderly in ○○ Nursing Home Hospital

Objective: The elderly hearing in nursing hospital is important for care giving and communication with their family. This study aims to investigate the elderly hearing in the nursing hospital with the otoacoustic emission (OAE). Participants & Method: 58 of whom aged from 65 to 91 were analyzed for the results. The signal-to- noise ratio (SNR) was used for transient evoked OAE (TEOAE) and distortion product OAE (DPOAE). OAE lower than 5 ㏈ SNR at speech and high frequency range was categorized to suspicious hearing loss. Results: It was impossible to evaluate 10.53 % and 13.16% of all participants because it was to have issues in the external and middle ear, and brain problems. The suspicious rate at TEOAE was 31.03, 8.62, 10.34, 48.28, 53.45 % at right ear and 39.66, 12.07, 13.79, 41.38, 67.24 % at left ear in 1000, 1414, 2000, 2828, and 4000 Hz. The mean of speech and high-frequency range were observed to be 15.52, 55.17 % at right ear, 15.52, 48.28 % at left ear. The dB SNR at speech range in the 60s, 70s, and 80s were significantly decreased to 16.1, 13.41, and 8.28 dB SNR, on average. Conclusion: The SNR of TEOAE was significantly lower in the high-pitched range than in the speech range according to frequency and showed a tendency to worsen with age. For hearing screening in the elderly, TEOAE is more useful than DPOAE with a higher referral rate of 81.03~98.28 %.

Effectiveness of Place-based Mapping in Electric-Acoustic Stimulation Devices.

The default mapping procedure for electric-acoustic stimulation (EAS) devices uses the cochlear implant recipient's unaided detection thresholds in the implanted ear to derive the acoustic settings and assign the lowest frequency filter of electric stimulation. Individual differences for speech recognition with EAS may be due to discrepancies between the electric frequency filters of individual electrode contacts and the cochlear place of stimulation, known as a frequency-to-place mismatch. Frequency-to-place mismatch of greater than 1/2 octave has been demonstrated in up to 60% of EAS users. Aligning the electric frequency filters via a place-based mapping procedure using postoperative imaging may improve speech recognition with EAS. Masked sentence recognition was evaluated for normal-hearing subjects (n = 17) listening with vocoder simulations of EAS, using a place-based map and a default map. Simulation parameters were based on audiometric and imaging data from a representative 24-mm electrode array recipient and EAS user. The place-based map aligned electric frequency filters with the cochlear place frequency, which introduced a gap between the simulated acoustic and electric output. The default map settings were derived from the clinical programming software and provided the full speech frequency range. Masked sentence recognition was significantly better for simulated EAS with the place-based map as compared with the default map. The simulated EAS place-based map supported better performance than the simulated EAS default map. This indicates that individualizing maps may improve performance in EAS users by helping them achieve better asymptotic performance earlier and mitigate the need for acclimatization.

Detailed evaluation of hearing loss (HL) associated with high-dose (HD) carboplatin for salvage treatment of germ cell tumors (GCT).

401 Background: HD carboplatin is an essential part of curative salvage high-dose chemotherapy (HDCT) for GCT. Although ototoxicity is a known side effect of HD carboplatin, data on severity and characteristics of HL in this population are limited. Methods: Eligible patients (pts) received salvage HD carboplatin for GCT at our center from 1993-2017 and had audiograms pre- and post-HDCT. All pts were planned for 3 sequential cycles of HD carboplatin; some had audiograms after each cycle. HL severity was classified by ASHA criteria (slight: 15-24dB; mild: 25-40dB; moderate: 41-55dB; moderately severe: 56-70dB; severe: 71-90dB; profound: &gt;90dB). Change in hearing threshold at each frequency (0.25 – 8 kHz) was analyzed by clinical and treatment variables using the Wilcoxon rank-sum test. The proportion of pts recommended for hearing aids was also recorded. Results: Of 115 pts (median age 31, 77% nonseminoma), 96 received TI-CE and 19 received TI-TIC on a clinical trial (Feldman CGUC 2015). Pts varied by prior cisplatin exposure (77% with ≤4 vs 23% with 5-9 cycles) and number of HD carboplatin cycles (89% had 3, 10% had 2, and 2% had 1). Carboplatin AUC was 21 in 23%, 24 in 75%, and 28 in 3%. Moderate to profound HL was present in 23% pre-HD carboplatin vs 82% post, preferentially at high frequencies (Table). Of 89 pts with normal to mild HL at baseline, 78% developed moderate or worse HL post-HD carboplatin, including 61% with moderately severe or severe HL. Higher AUC (24 vs 21) and number of HD carboplatin cycles were associated with greater HL with HD carboplatin whereas prior cisplatin exposure was not. Due to moderate or severe HL in the vital speech frequency range (2 – 4kHz), 20 (17%) pts were recommended for hearing aids post-HD carboplatin. Conclusions: In the largest series to detail ototoxicity in pts receiving salvage HD carboplatin for GCT, we show HL, particularly at high frequencies, is a major dose-dependent toxicity. Most pts will have at least moderate high frequency HL after HD carboplatin with approximately 1 in 6 recommended for hearing aids. [Table: see text]

Sensorineural hearing loss in tubotympanic variety of chronic suppurative otitis media

Objectives: To determine whether chronic suppurative otitis media(CSOM) can cause Sensorineural hearing loss(SNHL) and to note its degree and its relation to duration of disease.&#x0D; Methods: This was a cross sectional study which was carried out in the departments of Otolaryngology and Head-Neck Surgery of Dhaka Medical College Hospital during the period of April’2012 to March’2013. A total number of 76 patients having unilateral CSOM were included in this study age ranging from 6 to 59 years after exclusion of other possible causes of SNHL such as meningitis, head injury, previous ear surgery and chronic noise exposure. The use of unilateral CSOM cases provided a contralateral ear to serve as a control. Bone conduction threshold elevation between diseased and control ear was considered as the indicator of inner ear damage.&#x0D; Results: In this series, CSOM was seen to be associated with sensorineural hearing loss. Significant threshold elevation was observed in relation to disease duration. Here bone conduction measurement in all frequencies (500Hz,1000Hz,2000Hz and 4000Hz) in diseased and uninvolved contralateral side showed elevation of bone conduction in diseased side and this elevation was significantly higher (p&lt;0.001). The average bone conduction loss at 4kHz was higher than the average at the speech frequency range.&#x0D; Conclusion: This study suggests that CSOM can cause significant bone conduction threshold elevation and it should be considered when managing this problem. Early detection and prompt treatment may limit this potential handicap.&#x0D; Bangladesh J Otorhinolaryngol; April 2016; 22(1): 26-30

Влияние серозного воспаления слизистой оболочки среднего уха на морфологические и функциональные результаты тимпанопластики

A comparative analysis of the results of a separate atticoantrotomy with tympanoplasty of type I in patients with serous mucositis (moderately thickened and edematous mucous membrane of the tympanic cavity with serous-mucous discharge, n = 59) and patients with intact mucous membrane (n = 48) was performed. The functional outcome of surgical treatment was evaluated using tonal threshold audiometry by calculating the average value of the air-bone gap (ABG) in the speech frequency range after 3 and 12 months. The condition of the graft (the presence or absence of perforation of the neo tympanic membrane) was determined by otomicroscopy 12 months after surgery. Hearing improvement was observed in patients in both groups: the air-bone gap after 12 months in the speech frequency zone was 13.5 ± 5.1 dB in the patients of the main group and 15 ± 5.0 dB in the control patients. The absence of perforation of the neo tympanic membrane 12 months after surgery was observed in all patients. The results obtained in this study suggest that the phenomena of serous mucositis in the form of edema of the mucous membrane of the tympanic cavity and serous-mucous discharge do not significantly affect the morphological and functional results of tympanoplasty in patients with a tubo-tympanic form of chronic otitis media.

Case study: Measurement and treatment of severe flutter echo caused by a barrel-vaulted sanctuary ceiling

This case study centers on a recently constructed church with a barrel-vaulted sanctuary ceiling exhibiting excessive reverberation times and flutter echo. Reverberation times in excess of 5 s in the speech frequency range were observed at locations along the tiled center aisle, along with correspondingly elevated sound pressure levels and a highly non-diffuse sound field. Preliminary measurements, which included covering the reflective center aisle, substantiated the hypothesis that the acoustical behavior was caused by the interaction between the center aisle and the barrel-vaulted ceiling. The proposed recommendations for retrofitting the space to improve intelligibility along the aisle were modified with a view toward attaining an acceptable reduction in the reverberation times while retaining the spacious acoustical quality of the sanctuary. Additional acoustical measurements were performed prior to and following the completion of the recommended treatment. This case study describes the series of measurements and presents results of the treatment, in terms of reverberation time, impulse response decay curves, impulse response time waveforms and spectrograms, and sound pressure level measures. The unique characteristics of flutter echo due to the barrel-vaulted ceiling before and after the successful acoustical treatment are described.

Validation of the Chinese Sound Test: Auditory Performance of Hearing Aid Users.

The Chinese Sound Test (Hung, Lin, Tsai, & Lee, 2016) has been recently developed as a modified version of the Ling Six-Sound Test (Ling, 2012). By incorporating Chinese speech sounds, this test should be able to estimate whether the listener can hear across the Chinese speech spectrum. To establish the clinical validity of the test, this study examined the relationship between the aided audiometric thresholds and the distance thresholds. Sixty children with bilateral hearing aids were recruited. The aided sound-field thresholds at 250, 500, 1000, 2000, 4000, and 6000 Hz were compared with the distance thresholds of six sounds, /u, ə, a, i, tɕʰ, and s/, which encompass the entire Chinese speech frequency range from low to high. Partial correlation and stepwise regression analyses revealed that the Chinese testing sounds are frequency specific and that the audibility of each sound could be predicted by a specific frequency threshold. The results confirm the validity of the Chinese Sound Test, indicating that the testing sounds can be reliably used to assess the perception of frequency-specific information. Crucially, these data also demonstrate that the Chinese Sound Test is a useful tool to identify red flags of poor auditory access in daily environment to monitor device malfunctions and possible hearing fluctuations.

Association between speech and high-frequency hearing loss and depression, anxiety and stress in older adults

BackgroundAge-related hearing loss (ARHL) and depression are considered leading causes of disability in older adults. This cross-sectional study investigated the association between the severity of speech and high-frequency ARHL and depression, anxiety and stress in older adults. Study designCross-sectional study of a community-derived sample of adult volunteers. MethodsA hearing assessment was completed by 151 participants (73 males and 78 females; M = 64.44 ± 10.77 years). Based on their better-ear speech (0.5, 1, 2, & 4 kHz) and high-frequency (6 & 8 kHz) hearing thresholds, they were divided three groups: those with normal hearing; those with mild to moderate hearing loss; and those with moderately severe to profound hearing loss. All participants also completed the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21). ResultsA binomial logistic regression analysis revealed that the respective odds ratios (ORs) (95% confidence interval) of clinically significant depression, anxiety and stress for participants with a moderately severe to profound hearing loss across the speech frequency range were: 27.51 (3.25, 232.95), 5.89 (1.95, 17.73) and 5.64 (1.55, 20.48). Similarly, the respective ORs of clinically significant depression, anxiety and stress were 6.54 (0.75, 57.02), 6.21 (1.52, 25.33) and 5.32 (1.02, 27.75) for participants with moderately severe to profound hearing loss across high frequencies. The non-parametric Cuzik test revealed a statistically significant positive (p < .05) trend of association between both better-ear speech and high-frequency hearing loss and DASS scores. ConclusionThe observed graded associations suggest that hearing loss is a causative factor for clinically significant depression, anxiety and stress symptoms.

Effects of flow gradients on directional radiation of human voice

In voice communication in windy outdoor conditions, complex velocity gradients appear in the flow field around the source, the receiver, and also in the atmosphere. It is commonly known that voice emanates stronger towards the downstream direction when compared with the upstream direction. In literature, the atmospheric effects are used to explain the stronger emanation in the downstream direction. This work shows that the wind also has an effect to the directivity of voice also favouring the downstream direction. The effect is addressed by measurements and simulations. Laboratory measurements are conducted by using a large pendulum with a loudspeaker mimicking the human head, whereas practical measurements utilizing the human voice are realized by placing a subject through the roof window of a moving car. The measurements and a simulation indicate congruent results in the speech frequency range: When the source faces the downstream direction, stronger radiation coinciding with the wind direction is observed, and when it faces the upstream direction, radiation is not affected notably. The simulated flow gradients show a wake region in the downstream direction, and the simulated acoustic field in the flow show that the region causes a wave-guide effect focusing the sound in the direction.