Contribution of Cochlear Compression to Discrimination of Rippled Spectra in On- and Low-frequency Noise

Abstract

The goal of the study was to assess cochlear compression when rippled-spectrum signals are perceived in noise assuming that the noise might produce both masking and confounding effects. In normal listeners, discrimination between rippled signals with and without ripple phase reversals was assessed in background noise. The signals were band-limited (0.5 oct at a − 6-dB level) rippled noise centered at 2 kHz, with a ripple density of 3.5 oct⁻¹. The noise (masker) was band-limited nonrippled noise centered at either 2 kHz (on-frequency masker) or 1 kHz (low-frequency masker). The masker was simultaneously presented with the signals. Masker levels at the discrimination threshold were measured as a function of the signal level using the adaptive (staircase) two-alternative forced-choice procedure. For the on-frequency masker, the searched-for function had a slope of 0.98 dB/dB. For the low-frequency masker, the function had a slope of 1.19 dB/dB within a signal level range of 30 to 40 dB sound pressure level (SPL) and as low as 0.15 dB/dB within a signal level range of 70 to 80 dB SPL. These results were interpreted as indicating compression of responses to both the signal and on-frequency masker and no compression of the effect of the low-frequency masker. In conditions when above-threshold signals are presented in simultaneous noise (the masker), cochlear compression manifests to a substantial degree despite possible confounding effects.

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Infants Prefer Sounds of Other Infants to Adult Sounds

Infants are capable of recognizing vowel-like sounds and prefer to hear these sounds vocalized by other babies, research has found.
 
"What we did in this study was that we created vowel sounds that sounded like a 6-month-old speaking and also a female adult speaking," explained lead author Linda Polka, PhD, at her presentation shared by the Acoustical Society of America. "We then presented them to infants to see if they had a preference to listen to one type of sound to the other."

In earlier studies, the subjects were 4- to 5-month-old infants who are not yet in the babbling stage and are not yet vocally active. The infants, seated on their mother's laps, were positioned in front of a screen with a checkerboard pattern. When the babies look at the checkerboard, a sound plays and when they look away it stops. The researchers found out that the subjects spent more time listening to the vocalizations of the infant speaker than to the female adult.

 
Polka’s team explored why infants prefer to listen to vowel sounds made by other infants. They conducted two follow-up sub-experiments that aimed to answer whether the preference was associated to high voice pitch, which is similar to the infants' mothers', or to the sound's similarities with their own vocal production capabilities.
 
In another experiment, the researchers only used infant voice resonance without a high voice pitch. Results showed the same preference with the initial experiment. In a third experiment, the researchers matched the vocal pitch of the infant sound with the adult female sound. “We didn't get the same results because the high pitch was very interesting to them," explained Polka. Results of experiment three showed that infant voice pitch was also potent and that infant pitch with formants was not more attractive than pitch alone.
 

The researchers conducted another set of experiments (experiments four, five, and six) with 7-month-old infants, who are in the babbling stage. Results showed that infants have a strong preference for infant vowel sounds.
 
Asked about what inspired the study, Polka told The Hearing Journal: "We started this research with a motivated to learn about how infants perceive their own speech, which is critical for them to learn to talk and produce intelligible spoken language  Although infants must accurately process infant speech signals to become an intelligible talker, until now, research had not involved infant speech signals because we did not have a way to create well-controlled recordings of infant speech to use in scientific studies."
 
"The impact of our findings is a richer understanding of how access to infant speech impacts infant development,” she added. “Our findings show that normally developing infants have a strong attraction to infant speech and this seems to make speech processing easier for them.  This finding may show – with further research – that this perceptual bias is a positive indicator or milestone in normal language development and that absence of this perceptual bias indicates that a child is at risk for language learning difficulties."
 
Polka collaborated with Lucie Ménard, a linguistics professor at the University of Quebec in Montreal and an expert in speech production, and Matthew Masapollo, a doctoral student.

Published: 5/14/2018 4:07:00 PM

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Infants Prefer Sounds of Other Infants to Adult Sounds

Infants are capable of recognizing vowel-like sounds and prefer to hear these sounds vocalized by other babies, research has found.
 
"What we did in this study was that we created vowel sounds that sounded like a 6-month-old speaking and also a female adult speaking," explained lead author Linda Polka, PhD, at her presentation shared by the Acoustical Society of America. "We then presented them to infants to see if they had a preference to listen to one type of sound to the other."

In earlier studies, the subjects were 4- to 5-month-old infants who are not yet in the babbling stage and are not yet vocally active. The infants, seated on their mother's laps, were positioned in front of a screen with a checkerboard pattern. When the babies look at the checkerboard, a sound plays and when they look away it stops. The researchers found out that the subjects spent more time listening to the vocalizations of the infant speaker than to the female adult.

 
Polka’s team explored why infants prefer to listen to vowel sounds made by other infants. They conducted two follow-up sub-experiments that aimed to answer whether the preference was associated to high voice pitch, which is similar to the infants' mothers', or to the sound's similarities with their own vocal production capabilities.
 
In another experiment, the researchers only used infant voice resonance without a high voice pitch. Results showed the same preference with the initial experiment. In a third experiment, the researchers matched the vocal pitch of the infant sound with the adult female sound. “We didn't get the same results because the high pitch was very interesting to them," explained Polka. Results of experiment three showed that infant voice pitch was also potent and that infant pitch with formants was not more attractive than pitch alone.
 

The researchers conducted another set of experiments (experiments four, five, and six) with 7-month-old infants, who are in the babbling stage. Results showed that infants have a strong preference for infant vowel sounds.
 
Asked about what inspired the study, Polka told The Hearing Journal: "We started this research with a motivated to learn about how infants perceive their own speech, which is critical for them to learn to talk and produce intelligible spoken language  Although infants must accurately process infant speech signals to become an intelligible talker, until now, research had not involved infant speech signals because we did not have a way to create well-controlled recordings of infant speech to use in scientific studies."
 
"The impact of our findings is a richer understanding of how access to infant speech impacts infant development,” she added. “Our findings show that normally developing infants have a strong attraction to infant speech and this seems to make speech processing easier for them.  This finding may show – with further research – that this perceptual bias is a positive indicator or milestone in normal language development and that absence of this perceptual bias indicates that a child is at risk for language learning difficulties."
 
Polka collaborated with Lucie Ménard, a linguistics professor at the University of Quebec in Montreal and an expert in speech production, and Matthew Masapollo, a doctoral student.

Published: 5/14/2018 4:07:00 PM

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Infants Prefer Sounds of Other Infants to Adult Sounds

Infants are capable of recognizing vowel-like sounds and prefer to hear these sounds vocalized by other babies, research has found.
 
"What we did in this study was that we created vowel sounds that sounded like a 6-month-old speaking and also a female adult speaking," explained lead author Linda Polka, PhD, at her presentation shared by the Acoustical Society of America. "We then presented them to infants to see if they had a preference to listen to one type of sound to the other."

In earlier studies, the subjects were 4- to 5-month-old infants who are not yet in the babbling stage and are not yet vocally active. The infants, seated on their mother's laps, were positioned in front of a screen with a checkerboard pattern. When the babies look at the checkerboard, a sound plays and when they look away it stops. The researchers found out that the subjects spent more time listening to the vocalizations of the infant speaker than to the female adult.

 
Polka’s team explored why infants prefer to listen to vowel sounds made by other infants. They conducted two follow-up sub-experiments that aimed to answer whether the preference was associated to high voice pitch, which is similar to the infants' mothers', or to the sound's similarities with their own vocal production capabilities.
 
In another experiment, the researchers only used infant voice resonance without a high voice pitch. Results showed the same preference with the initial experiment. In a third experiment, the researchers matched the vocal pitch of the infant sound with the adult female sound. “We didn't get the same results because the high pitch was very interesting to them," explained Polka. Results of experiment three showed that infant voice pitch was also potent and that infant pitch with formants was not more attractive than pitch alone.
 

The researchers conducted another set of experiments (experiments four, five, and six) with 7-month-old infants, who are in the babbling stage. Results showed that infants have a strong preference for infant vowel sounds.
 
Asked about what inspired the study, Polka told The Hearing Journal: "We started this research with a motivated to learn about how infants perceive their own speech, which is critical for them to learn to talk and produce intelligible spoken language  Although infants must accurately process infant speech signals to become an intelligible talker, until now, research had not involved infant speech signals because we did not have a way to create well-controlled recordings of infant speech to use in scientific studies."
 
"The impact of our findings is a richer understanding of how access to infant speech impacts infant development,” she added. “Our findings show that normally developing infants have a strong attraction to infant speech and this seems to make speech processing easier for them.  This finding may show – with further research – that this perceptual bias is a positive indicator or milestone in normal language development and that absence of this perceptual bias indicates that a child is at risk for language learning difficulties."
 
Polka collaborated with Lucie Ménard, a linguistics professor at the University of Quebec in Montreal and an expert in speech production, and Matthew Masapollo, a doctoral student.

Published: 5/14/2018 4:07:00 PM

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The conserved p.Arg108 residue in S1PR2 (DFNB68) is fundamental for proper hearing: evidence from a consanguineous Iranian family.

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The conserved p.Arg108 residue in S1PR2 (DFNB68) is fundamental for proper hearing: evidence from a consanguineous Iranian family.

BMC Med Genet. 2018 May 18;19(1):81

Authors: Hofrichter MAH, Mojarad M, Doll J, Grimm C, Eslahi A, Hosseini NS, Rajati M, Müller T, Dittrich M, Maroofian R, Haaf T, Vona B

Abstract
BACKGROUND: Genetic heterogeneity and consanguineous marriages make recessive inherited hearing loss in Iran the second most common genetic disorder. Only two reported pathogenic variants (c.323G>C, p.Arg108Pro and c.419A>G, p.Tyr140Cys) in the S1PR2 gene have previously been linked to autosomal recessive hearing loss (DFNB68) in two Pakistani families. We describe a segregating novel homozygous c.323G>A, p.Arg108Gln pathogenic variant in S1PR2 that was identified in four affected individuals from a consanguineous five generation Iranian family.
METHODS: Whole exome sequencing and bioinformatics analysis of 116 hearing loss-associated genes was performed in an affected individual from a five generation Iranian family. Segregation analysis and 3D protein modeling of the p.Arg108 exchange was performed.
RESULTS: The two Pakistani families previously identified with S1PR2 pathogenic variants presented profound hearing loss that is also observed in the affected Iranian individuals described in the current study. Interestingly, we confirmed mixed hearing loss in one affected individual. 3D protein modeling suggests that the p.Arg108 position plays a key role in ligand receptor interaction, which is disturbed by the p.Arg108Gln change.
CONCLUSION: In summary, we report the third overall mutation in S1PR2 and the first report outside the Pakistani population. Furthermore, we describe a novel variant that causes an amino acid exchange (p.Arg108Gln) in the same amino acid residue as one of the previously reported Pakistani families (p.Arg108Pro). This finding emphasizes the importance of the p.Arg108 amino acid in normal hearing and confirms and consolidates the role of S1PR2 in autosomal recessive hearing loss.

PMID: 29776397 [PubMed - in process]

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Low-Frequency Sensorineural Hearing Loss in Familial Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis Type 5.

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Low-Frequency Sensorineural Hearing Loss in Familial Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis Type 5.

Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. 2018 Jun;127(6):409-413

Authors: Bezdjian A, Bruijnzeel H, Pagel J, Daniel SJ, Thomeer HGXM

Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Familial hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (FHL) is an autosomal recessive disease affecting the cytotoxic pathway. Due to the recent advances in molecular diagnosis, immuno-chemo therapy, and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation treatment, FHL survival rates have drastically increased.
CASE PRESENTATION: Herein, we describe a case of FHL type 5 presenting with low-frequency sensorineural hearing loss. Alongside our reported case, 6 additional patients were identified in the literature. Management and Outcome: The progressive nature of FHL disorder may cause bilateral, low-frequency, irreversible sensorineural hearing loss. This type of hearing loss should be considered among the long-term sequelea presenting with FHL5.
DISCUSSION: We recommend audiological evaluation at initial FHL5 diagnosis to assess for hearing functions. Follow-up in audiology should be part of the long-term monitoring of patients with FHL5 as hearing loss could develop long after diagnosis.

PMID: 29776323 [PubMed - in process]

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Informational Masking Effects on Neural Encoding of Stimulus Onset and Acoustic Change

Objective: Recent investigations using cortical auditory evoked potentials have shown masker-dependent effects on sensory cortical processing of speech information. Background noise maskers consisting of other people talking are particularly difficult for speech recognition. Behavioral studies have related this to perceptual masking, or informational masking, beyond just the overlap of the masker and target at the auditory periphery. The aim of the present study was to use cortical auditory evoked potentials, to examine how maskers (i.e., continuous speech-shaped noise [SSN] and multi-talker babble) affect the cortical sensory encoding of speech information at an obligatory level of processing. Specifically, cortical responses to vowel onset and formant change were recorded under different background noise conditions presumed to represent varying amounts of energetic or informational masking. The hypothesis was, that even at this obligatory cortical level of sensory processing, we would observe larger effects on the amplitude and latency of the onset and change components as the amount of informational masking increased across background noise conditions. Design: Onset and change responses were recorded to a vowel change from /u-i/ in young adults under four conditions: quiet, continuous SSN, eight-talker (8T) babble, and two-talker (2T) babble. Repeated measures analyses by noise condition were conducted on amplitude, latency, and response area measurements to determine the differential effects of these noise conditions, designed to represent increasing and varying levels of informational and energetic masking, on cortical neural representation of a vowel onset and acoustic change response waveforms. Results: All noise conditions significantly reduced onset N1 and P2 amplitudes, onset N1-P2 peak to peak amplitudes, as well as both onset and change response area compared with quiet conditions. Further, all amplitude and area measures were significantly reduced for the two babble conditions compared with continuous SSN. However, there were no significant differences in peak amplitude or area for either onset or change responses between the two different babble conditions (eight versus two talkers). Mean latencies for all onset peaks were delayed for noise conditions compared with quiet. However, in contrast to the amplitude and area results, differences in peak latency between SSN and the babble conditions did not reach statistical significance. Conclusions: These results support the idea that while background noise maskers generally reduce amplitude and increase latency of speech-sound evoked cortical responses, the type of masking has a significant influence. Speech babble maskers (eight talkers and two talkers) have a larger effect on the obligatory cortical response to speech sound onset and change compared with purely energetic continuous SSN maskers, which may be attributed to informational masking effects. Neither the neural responses to the onset nor the vowel change, however, were sensitive to the hypothesized increase in the amount of informational masking between speech babble maskers with two talkers compared with eight talkers. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: This research was supported by Gerber Family Funds for Auditory Research, Syracuse University. The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose. Received May 1, 2017; accepted March 27, 2018. Address for correspondence: Christopher E. Niemczak, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Syracuse University, Communication Sciences and Disorders, 621 Skytop Road, Suite 1200, Syracuse, NY 13214, USA. E-mail: ceniemcz@syr.edu Copyright © 2018 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

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