The effect on localization of frequency-specific gain reduction schemes when matched and mismatched across ears

Autor: Shawn S. Goodman, Ruth A. Bentler, Hua Ou
Rok vydání: 2015
Předmět:
Zdroj: International Journal of Audiology. 54:359-367
ISSN: 1708-8186
1499-2027
Popis: To evaluate the impact of non-adaptive matched and mismatched gain reduction schemes on localization in spatially-separated noise.Inspired by the function of commercial noise reduction algorithms, five frequency-specific gain reduction filter schemes were created, three for a modulated babble-noise and two for an unmodulated speech-shaped noise. Applying these schemes as both matched and mismatched conditions across ears, localization of five everyday sounds in noise was measured in a virtual environment using insert earphones. The performance in the reference scheme (no gain reduction in either ear) was measured as well.Twenty-four adult bilateral hearing-aid users were enrolled in this study.One of the two mismatched gain reduction schemes for the unmodulated noise had a small but negative impact on localization compared to the reference scheme. For that scheme more high-frequency reduction was noted than for the other schemes. Matching gain reduction across ears restored the deteriorated localization performance. No localization performance differences were observed in the modulated babble-noise regardless of whether the scheme was matched or mismatched across ears.The impact of noise-induced gain reduction on localization in noise was trivial in the study regardless of whether gain reduction schemes were matched or not across ears.
Databáze: OpenAIRE