Sensorineural hearing loss and loudness perception

Researcher(s): M.F.B. van Beurden, E.E.
Supervisor(s): prof. W.A. Dreschler, PhD.

Background:
Loudness is the subjective evaluation of sound intensity and is together with pitch one of the most important characteristics on which we judge sounds. Perception of loudness is altered in sensorineural hearing impaired subjects. For restoration of sound sensation of a hearing impaired listener to normal, the altered loudness perception has to be taken into account. Knowledge about the relationship between loudness and signal characteristics as intensity, frequency, bandwidth and dynamic behaviour may lead to better hearing aid fitting strategies.

Aim:
Both in normal hearing and hearing-impaired listeners loudness perception is investigated. The main focus is on the influences of intensity, bandwidth, duration and dynamic behaviour on loudness perception. Especially interactions between these signal characteristics are studied.

Method:
In a first experiment loudness matching has been used to study the influence of bandwidth on the loudness of series of noise bursts.
In another experiment loudness scaling has been applied to study the loudness of several noises of different bandwidths at several signal durations. In this study spectral loudness summation, temporal integration and the influence of these two on each other can be investigated at different levels.
The results of the studies will be used to improve existing loudness models.

Results:
The results of the study on the loudness of the series of noise burst are currently written down in an article. The results show that as bandwidth increases the loudness of a series of noise burst increases. The results of the loudness scaling experiment are currently analysed.

Future research:
Experiments on normal and hearing-impaired listeners will be continued.


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General Otology Prevention of hearing loss Auditory profile Sensorineural hearing loss and loudness perception Predicting the speech intelligibility under fluctuating background conditions Auditory filter measurements Auditory profile: spectral and temporal resolution (HEARCOM, WP2) Consonant confusions for filtered and consonant deteriorated nonsense VCV syllables (HEARCOM, WP2) Auditory localisation (HEARCOM, WP2) Dead Regions The perception of amplitude modulated signals Rehabilitation Hearing at work Publications Presentations	Sensorineural hearing loss and loudness perception Researcher(s): M.F.B. van Beurden, E.E. Supervisor(s): prof. W.A. Dreschler, PhD. Background: Loudness is the subjective evaluation of sound intensity and is together with pitch one of the most important characteristics on which we judge sounds. Perception of loudness is altered in sensorineural hearing impaired subjects. For restoration of sound sensation of a hearing impaired listener to normal, the altered loudness perception has to be taken into account. Knowledge about the relationship between loudness and signal characteristics as intensity, frequency, bandwidth and dynamic behaviour may lead to better hearing aid fitting strategies. Aim: Both in normal hearing and hearing-impaired listeners loudness perception is investigated. The main focus is on the influences of intensity, bandwidth, duration and dynamic behaviour on loudness perception. Especially interactions between these signal characteristics are studied. Method: In a first experiment loudness matching has been used to study the influence of bandwidth on the loudness of series of noise bursts. In another experiment loudness scaling has been applied to study the loudness of several noises of different bandwidths at several signal durations. In this study spectral loudness summation, temporal integration and the influence of these two on each other can be investigated at different levels. The results of the studies will be used to improve existing loudness models. Results: The results of the study on the loudness of the series of noise burst are currently written down in an article. The results show that as bandwidth increases the loudness of a series of noise burst increases. The results of the loudness scaling experiment are currently analysed. Future research: Experiments on normal and hearing-impaired listeners will be continued.