EFFECTS OF AGE AND HEARING LOSS ON RECOGNITION OF

TIME-COMPRESSED SPEECH J.J. Barajas (1,2,3), F. Zenker (1,3), A.B. Carballo González (3)

and R. Fernández Belda (1,3)

(1) Clinica Barajas, (2) Universidad de La Laguna, (3) Fundación Dr. Barajas

SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE - CANARY ISLANDS - SPAIN

Universidad de La Laguna

IAPA 2010 Symposium 19-22 September, Krakow, Poland

Facts About Speech Communication

Normal Conversational Rate: 140 to 180 words per minute (wpm)TV newsreades can easily exceed 210 wpm

Is = Sampling interval Id = Discard interval

Time Compression Ratio: Rc = [Id / (Id + Is)]

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

1 3 5 7

Is Id

Compression

Ratio

(%)

Sampling

Interval

(msec)

Discard

Interval

(msec)

0 0 0

50 18.0 18

60 12.0 18

70 7.7 18

Time-Compressed Speech Test

Cárdenas de, M.R. y Marrero V. (1994). “Cuaderno de Logoaudiometría” Cuadernos de la Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia.

Time-Compressed Time-Compressed Speech TestSpeech Test

• 25 Word per list

• 4 list of words (0%, 50%, 60%, 70%)

• Phonetically Balanced Bisyllabic Words

• 40 dB re: Spondee Threshold

• Diotic Testing

/leyes/Waveforms AnalysisWaveforms Analysis

Wideband SpectrogramWideband SpectrogramPitch AnalysisPitch Analysis

/leyes/

0 Hz

5.5 kHz

0% 50% 60% 70%

Wideband SpectrogramWideband SpectrogramFormant Strucuture AnalysisFormant Strucuture Analysis

0 Hz

5.5 kHz

0% 50% 60% 70%

/leyes/

SubjetcsSubjetcs

73 Subjects WR >80%73 Subjects WR >80%

Age: Age: 18-78 years old. 18-78 years old.

Group 1 (N= 26): Normal Hearing (NH).Group 1 (N= 26): Normal Hearing (NH). Group 2 (N=20): Flat Hearing Loss Group 2 (N=20): Flat Hearing Loss

(FHL).(FHL). Group 3 (N=15): High Frequency Group 3 (N=15): High Frequency

Hearing Loss (HFL).Hearing Loss (HFL). Group 4 (N=12): Hearing Aid (HA).Group 4 (N=12): Hearing Aid (HA).

RESULTSRESULTS

Overall Time-Compressed Speech Overall Time-Compressed Speech Performance by Group (n=73)Performance by Group (n=73)

CO

RR

EC

T R

EC

OG

NIT

ION

(%

)

NH FHL HFHL HA Normal Hearing

Flat Hearing Loss

High Frequency Hearing Loss

Hearing Aids

NH FHL HFHL HA

Time-Compressed Speech Time-Compressed Speech Performance by Compression Performance by Compression

Ratio and Hearing GroupRatio and Hearing Group

0% Compression 50% Compression

60% Compression 70% Compression

Co

rrec

t R

eco

gn

itio

n (

%)

NH FHL HFHL HA

Co

rrec

t R

eco

gn

itio

n (

%)

PTA in dB HL

0% Compression 50% Compression

60% Compression 70% Compression

Regression Analyses Regression Analyses

Co

rre

ct

Re

cog

nit

ion

(%

)

Age in Years

0% Compression

Percent correct recognition as Percent correct recognition as a function of age group and a function of age group and

compression ratecompression rate

Co

rre

ct

Re

cog

nit

ion

(%

)

Age in Years

0% Compression

50% Compression

Percent correct recognition as Percent correct recognition as a function of age group and a function of age group and

compression ratecompression rate

Co

rre

ct

Re

cog

nit

ion

(%

)

Age in Years

0% Compression

50% Compression

60% Compression

Percent correct recognition as Percent correct recognition as a function of age group and a function of age group and

compression ratecompression rate

Co

rre

ct

Re

cog

nit

ion

(%

)

Age in Years

0% Compression

50% Compression

60% Compression

70% Compression

Percent correct recognition as Percent correct recognition as a function of age group and a function of age group and

compression ratecompression rate

Percentage Recognition as a Percentage Recognition as a Function of Age Group and Function of Age Group and

Pure Tone Audiometry Pure Tone Audiometry 0% Compression 50% Compression

60% Compression 70% Compression

In all subjects recognition performance In all subjects recognition performance decreased with the difficulties of the decreased with the difficulties of the task, age and hearing loss.task, age and hearing loss.

Temporal processing is affected in Temporal processing is affected in individuals with flat hearing loss and individuals with flat hearing loss and hearing aids users.hearing aids users. Audibility provided by Hearing Aids is Audibility provided by Hearing Aids is

independent of Temporal Processing independent of Temporal Processing Mechanism.Mechanism.

The clinical use of this test requiere to The clinical use of this test requiere to take in account the age, type and take in account the age, type and degree of the hearing loss.degree of the hearing loss.

CONCLUSIONSCONCLUSIONS

THANK YOUTHANK YOU

(1) Clínica Barajas (2) Fundación Canaria Dr. Barajas para la Prevención e Investigación de la Sordera (3) CREDA Jordi Perelló (4) Universidad de La Laguna

SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE - CANARY ISLANDS - SPAINSANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE - CANARY ISLANDS - SPAIN

Universidad de La Laguna

EFFECTS OF AGE AND HEARING LOSS EFFECTS OF AGE AND HEARING LOSS ON RECOGNITION OF ON RECOGNITION OF

TIME-COMPRESSED SPEECHTIME-COMPRESSED SPEECH J.J. Barajas (1,2,3), F. Zenker (1,3), A.B. Carballo González (3)

and R. Fernández Belda (1,3)