Document text
Principal Investigator: Brian Bruce Monson
Organization: UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN
Fiscal Year: 2024
Award: $411,223
Funding agency: National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
The World Health Organization reports that nearly a half billion people suffer from a disabling hearing loss
worldwide. Hearing loss is typically measured in the standard audiometric frequency range, 250 to 8,000 Hz.
However, the young, healthy human frequency range of hearing extends to about 20,000 Hz. Extended high-
frequency hearing loss (>8,000 Hz) is rarely assessed in the clinic but is a widespread, natural, age-related
condition that begins as early as young adulthood. It is unknown to what extent extended high-frequency
hearing loss affects daily functioning. This proposal assesses the ecological value of extended high-frequency
hearing for speech perception and spatial awareness in realistic settings, which will include spatially separated
talkers having different head orientations in reverberant conditions. There are three specific aims. Aim 1 will
generate a high-fidelity multi-directional anechoic speech database with a representative cohort of adult native
speakers of American English. This database is designed to be used for speech perception experiments and
will be made publicly available. Speech spectral energy across the full range of human hearing will be
examined, as well as the nature of speech radiation toward different directions around the talkers. Aim 2 will
test the effect of simulated loss of extended high frequencies on speech perception and spatial awareness for
listeners with normal hearing out to 16 kHz. These experiments are based on our recent observation that
extended high frequencies in speech provide a benefit for speech-in-speech recognition. We will determine the
magnitude of this benefit in realistic settings and the factors responsible for it. Aim 3 will test the effect of
natural loss of extended high frequencies on speech perception and spatial awareness. Forms of natural loss
that will be studied include hearing loss at extended high frequencies and the wearing of face coverings
(masks) by talkers. The proposed studies will establish the ecological utility of extended high frequencies for
speech communication. Valuable insight will be gained as to how extended high-frequency hearing loss
impacts daily living for otherwise normal-hearing listeners. It is expected that results of the proposed studies
will aid in ongoing efforts to (1) improve clinical measures of hearing loss and (2) improve hearing-aid
processing techniques.
Terms: <12-20 years old><21+ years old><Acoustics><Adolescence><Adult><Adult Human><Affect><American><Audiogram><Audiometric Test><Audiometry><Auditory><Auditory Perception><Auditory system><Awareness><Buccal Cavity><Buccal Cavity Head and Neck><Cavitas Oris><Cell Communication and Signaling><Cell Signaling><Clinic><Clinical><Cochlea><Cochlear Implants><Cochlear Organ><Cochlear Prosthesis><Communication><Complex><Cueing for speech><Cues><Data Bases><Databases><Device Designs><Differences between sexes><Differs between sexes><Disabling><Ear><Environment><Exhibits><Face><Female><Frequencies><Goals><Head><Hearing><Hearing Aids><Hearing Loss><Hearing Tests><High Frequency Deafness><High-Frequency Hearing Loss><Human><Hypoacuses><Hypoacusis><Individual><Individual Differences><Intracellular Communication and Signaling><Investigators><Length><Masks><Measures><Modern Man><Mouth><NIDCD><National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders><Nature><Neurosciences><Noise><Oral cavity><Pattern><Performance><Persons><Phonetics><Population><Position><Positioning Attribute><Presbyacusis><Presbycusis><Radiation><Reporting><Research><Research Personnel><Researchers><Sex Differences><Sexual differences><Signal Transduction><Signal Transduction Systems><Signaling><Speech><Speech Perception><Techniques><Technology><Testing><Time><Training><World Health Organization><adolescence (12-20)><adult youth><adulthood><age associated><age associated hearing loss><age correlated><age dependent><age induced hearing loss><age linked><age related><age related decline in hearing><age related hearing deficits><age related hearing impairment><age related hearing loss><age specific><aging associated hearing loss><aging induced hearing loss><aging related decline in hearing><aging related hearing deficits><aging related hearing impairment><aging related hearing loss><assistive hearing device><assistive listening device><auditory tests><biological signal transduction><cohort><communication device><cued speech><daily functioning><data base><design><designing><dysfunctional hearing><experiment><experimental research><experimental study><experiments><faces><facial><good hearing><healthy hearing><hearing amplification><hearing assessment><hearing assistance><hearing assistive device><hearing challenged><hearing defect><hearing deficient><hearing deficit><hearing device><hearing difficulty><hearing dysfunction><hearing impairment><hearing in noise><hearing perception><hearing range><improved><insight><neglect><normal hearing><segregation><sex based differences><sex-dependent differences><sex-related differences><sex-specific differences><sound perception><spectral energy><spectrum energy><speech in background noise><speech in noise><speech in speech recognition><speech recognition><speech recognition in noise><young adult><young adulthood>