Luo Ching-Hsing, Chang Hung-Yue, Lo Tun-Shin, Tai Cheng-Chi
Department of Electrical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
School of Data and Computer Science, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.
J Am Acad Audiol. 2019 Mar;30(3):187-197. doi: 10.3766/jaaa.17067. Epub 2018 Jan 24.
Telephone conversation is one of the main scenarios where people with hearing loss require assistive listening devices (ALDs). Such people experience the greatest degree of difficulty during phone conversations in noisy environments.
This study compared the benefits of a linear scheme with a compression amplification scheme fitted with a prescription for sloping-type hearing loss implemented in a Bluetooth ALD in quiet and noisy environments.
Word recognition scores (WRSs) for the Mandarin monosyllable recognition test (MMRT) and participants' satisfaction ratings were measured to serve as objective and subjective results, respectively.
Twelve native Mandarin speakers aged 27-68 yr with mild to moderate sensorineural hearing loss participated in this study.
A compression amplification scheme with a prescription in maximizing speech intelligibility for sloping-type hearing loss was implemented in a Bluetooth ALD.
The MMRT WRSs of participants wearing the Bluetooth ALD were collected. Each test was conducted in a soundproof booth under quiet and 65-dBA speech noise environments. Each participant completed a satisfaction questionnaire administered by an audiologist. The collected WRSs were examined using analyses of variance and the satisfaction ratings were analyzed using Wilcoxon signed rank tests.
The mean MMRT WRSs of the compression amplification scheme were significantly higher than those of the linear scheme (57% and 53% higher in quiet and noisy environments, respectively). The mean satisfaction ratings of both schemes were between neutral and satisfied in the quiet environment, whereas in the noisy environment, the participants were more satisfied with the compression scheme than the linear scheme.
The results demonstrate the effective benefits of the compression amplification scheme fitted with a prescription in maximizing speech intelligibility for sloping-type hearing loss implemented in a Bluetooth ALD for people with mild to moderate hearing loss.
电话交谈是听力损失患者需要使用助听设备（ALD）的主要场景之一。这类人群在嘈杂环境中的电话交谈中会遇到最大程度的困难。
本研究比较了在安静和嘈杂环境中，蓝牙助听设备中采用线性方案与采用针对斜坡型听力损失的处方压缩放大方案的益处。
测量普通话单音节识别测试（MMRT）的单词识别分数（WRS）和参与者的满意度评分，分别作为客观和主观结果。
12名年龄在27至68岁之间、患有轻度至中度感音神经性听力损失的普通话母语者参与了本研究。
在蓝牙助听设备中实施一种针对斜坡型听力损失最大化语音清晰度的处方压缩放大方案。
收集佩戴蓝牙助听设备的参与者的MMRT WRS。每项测试均在隔音室中安静和65分贝言语噪声环境下进行。每位参与者完成一份由听力学家管理的满意度问卷。使用方差分析检查收集到的WRS，并使用Wilcoxon符号秩检验分析满意度评分。
压缩放大方案的平均MMRT WRS显著高于线性方案（在安静和嘈杂环境中分别高出57%和53%）。在安静环境中，两种方案的平均满意度评分均处于中性和满意之间，而在嘈杂环境中，参与者对压缩方案的满意度高于线性方案。
结果表明，对于轻度至中度听力损失的人群，在蓝牙助听设备中实施针对斜坡型听力损失最大化语音清晰度的处方压缩放大方案具有显著益处。
