Medical Physics and Cluster of Excellence Hearing4All, Universität Oldenburg, Oldenburg, D-26111, Germany.
HörTech gGmbH and Cluster of Excellence Hearing4all, Oldenburg, Germany.
J Acoust Soc Am. 2018 Aug;144(2):917. doi: 10.1121/1.5050518.
A loudness model with a central gain is suggested to improve individualized predictions of loudness scaling data from normal hearing and hearing impaired listeners. The current approach is based on the loudness model of Pieper [(2016). J. Acoust. Soc. Am. , 2896], which simulated the nonlinear inner ear mechanics as transmission-line model in a physical and physiological plausible way. Individual hearing thresholds were simulated by a cochlear gain reduction in the transmission-line model and linear attenuation (damage of inner hair cells) prior to an internal threshold. This and similar approaches of current loudness models that characterize the individual hearing loss were shown to be insufficient to account for individual loudness perception, in particular at high stimulus levels close to the uncomfortable level. An additional parameter, termed "post gain," was introduced to improve upon the previous models. The post gain parameter amplifies the signal parts above the internal threshold and can better account for individual variations in the overall steepness of loudness functions and for variations in the uncomfortable level which are independent of the hearing loss. The post gain can be interpreted as a central gain occurring at higher stages as a result of peripheral deafferentation.
提出了一种具有中心增益的响度模型，以改善正常听力和听力受损听众的响度标度数据的个性化预测。当前的方法基于 Pieper 的响度模型 [(2016). J. Acoust. Soc. Am., 2896]，该模型以物理和生理上合理的方式将非线性内耳力学模拟为传输线模型。个体听力阈值通过传输线模型中的耳蜗增益降低和内部阈值之前的线性衰减（内毛细胞损伤）来模拟。事实证明，这种和当前响度模型的类似方法，用于描述个体听力损失，不足以解释个体的响度感知，尤其是在接近不适水平的高刺激水平下。引入了一个称为“后增益”的附加参数来改进先前的模型。后增益参数放大内部阈值以上的信号部分，并且可以更好地解释响度函数整体陡峭度的个体变化以及与听力损失无关的不适水平的变化。后增益可以被解释为由于外周去传入而在较高阶段发生的中心增益。
