Dataset Information

On Dynamic Pitch Benefit for Speech Recognition in Speech Masker.

ABSTRACT: Previous work demonstrated that dynamic pitch (i.e., pitch variation in speech) aids speech recognition in various types of noises. While this finding suggests dynamic pitch enhancement in target speech can benefit speech recognition in noise, it is of importance to know what noise characteristics affect dynamic pitch benefit, and who will benefit from enhanced dynamic pitch cues. Following our recent finding that temporal modulation in noise influences dynamic pitch benefit, we examined the effect of speech masker characteristics on dynamic pitch benefit. Specifically, the first goal of the study was to test the hypothesis that dynamic pitch benefit varies depending on the availability of pitch cues in the masker and the intelligibility of masker. The second goal of this study was to investigate whether older listeners as a group can benefit from dynamic pitch for speech recognition in speech maskers. In addition, individual factors of hearing loss and working memory capacity were examined for their impact on older listeners' dynamic pitch benefit. Twenty-three younger listeners with normal hearing and 37 older listeners with varying levels of hearing sensitivity participated the study, in which speech reception thresholds were measured with sentences in speech maskers. While we did not find an effect of masker characteristics on dynamic pitch benefit, the results showed older listeners can benefit from dynamic pitch for recognizing speech in speech maskers. The data also suggest that among those older listeners with hearing loss, dynamic pitch benefit is stronger for individuals with higher working memory capacity. This can be attributed to their ability to exploit facilitated lexical access in processing of degraded speech signal.

SUBMITTER: Shen J

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6204388 | biostudies-other | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other

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Publications

On Dynamic Pitch Benefit for Speech Recognition in Speech Masker.

Shen Jing J Souza Pamela E PE

Frontiers in psychology 20181022

Previous work demonstrated that dynamic pitch (i.e., pitch variation in speech) aids speech recognition in various types of noises. While this finding suggests dynamic pitch enhancement in target speech can benefit speech recognition in noise, it is of importance to know what noise characteristics affect dynamic pitch benefit, and who will benefit from enhanced dynamic pitch cues. Following our recent finding that temporal modulation in noise influences dynamic pitch benefit, we examined the eff ...[more]

PMID: 30405476

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Project description:ObjectivesMasked speech recognition is typically assessed as though the target and background talkers are all directly facing the listener. However, background speech in natural environments is often produced by talkers facing other directions, and talker head orientation affects the spectral content of speech, particularly at the extended high frequencies (EHFs; >8 kHz). This study investigated the effect of masker head orientation and listeners' EHF sensitivity on speech-in-speech recognition and spatial release from masking in children and adults.DesignParticipants were 5- to 7-year-olds (n = 15) and adults (n = 34), all with normal hearing up to 8 kHz and a range of EHF hearing thresholds. Speech reception thresholds (SRTs) were measured for target sentences recorded from a microphone directly in front of the talker's mouth and presented from a loudspeaker directly in front of the listener, simulating a target directly in front of and facing the listener. The maskers were two streams of concatenated words recorded from a microphone located at either 0° or 60° azimuth, simulating masker talkers facing the listener or facing away from the listener, respectively. Maskers were presented in one of three spatial conditions: co-located with the target, symmetrically separated on either side of the target (+54° and -54° on the horizontal plane), or asymmetrically separated to the right of the target (both +54° on the horizontal plane).ResultsPerformance was poorer for the facing than for the nonfacing masker head orientation. This benefit of the nonfacing masker head orientation, or head orientation release from masking (HORM), was largest under the co-located condition, but it was also observed for the symmetric and asymmetric masker spatial separation conditions. SRTs were positively correlated with the mean 16-kHz threshold across ears in adults for the nonfacing conditions but not for the facing masker conditions. In adults with normal EHF thresholds, the HORM was comparable in magnitude to the benefit of a symmetric spatial separation of the target and maskers. Although children benefited from the nonfacing masker head orientation, their HORM was reduced compared to adults with normal EHF thresholds. Spatial release from masking was comparable across age groups for symmetric masker placement, but it was larger in adults than children for the asymmetric masker.ConclusionsMasker head orientation affects speech-in-speech recognition in children and adults, particularly those with normal EHF thresholds. This is important because masker talkers do not all face the listener under most natural listening conditions, and assuming a midline orientation would tend to overestimate the effect of spatial separation. The benefits associated with EHF audibility for speech-in-speech recognition may warrant clinical evaluation of thresholds above 8 kHz.

Dataset Information

On Dynamic Pitch Benefit for Speech Recognition in Speech Masker.

Publications

On Dynamic Pitch Benefit for Speech Recognition in Speech Masker.

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