Cochlear Dead Region and Word Recognition of Mandarin Chinese in Taiwan

10.4077/CJP.2013.BAA065

Li-Min Tseng；Guo-She Lee；Edward Yang；Neo Young；Chien-Yeh Hsu

cochlear dead region ； Mandarin Chinese in Taiwan ； sensorineural hearing loss ； threshold equalizing noise ； tonal language ； word recognition

The Chinese Journal of Physiology

56卷3期（2013 / 06 / 30）

129 - 137

英文

In a tonal language, the identity of a word depends largely on the tonal identification of the contour of vocal fundamental frequency energy of which usually centers in a low frequency of less than 600 Hz. However, cochlear dead region (DR) is present mostly in the frequency range of 2000 Hz to 4000 Hz, and the effect of DR on a tonal language is worth investigating. Thirty-two native Mandarin speakers with moderate-to-severe degree of sensorineural hearing loss were included in this study. The pure-tone audiometry, speech recognition threshold (SRT) and word recognition score (WRS) were used to evaluate the degree of hearing loss and word recognition. The threshold equalizing noise (TEN) tests were used to identify the presence of DR. The results showed that most DRs were present in high frequencies. The hearing thresholds of the ears with a DR were not significantly different from those without DR. However, the WRS was significantly worse for the DR ears, especially for those whose DR included three or more audiometric frequencies. A DR caused a significantly worse word recognition for the tonal language speakers of Mandarin in Taiwan, although the DR frequency occurred in the high frequency of 2000 Hz to 4000 Hz.

1. Aazh, H.,Moore, B.C.J.(2007).Dead regions in the cochlea at 4 kHz in elderly adults: relation to absolute threshold, steepness of audiogram, and pure-tone average.J. Am. Acad. Audiol.,18,97-106.
2. Baer, T.,Moore, B.C.J.,Kluk, K.(2002).Effects of low pass filtering on the intelligibility of speech in noise for people with and without dead regions at high frequencies.J. Acoust. Soc. Am.,112,1133-1144.
3. Barrenas, M.L.,Wikstrom, I.(2000).The influence of hearing and age on speech recognition scores in noise in audiological patients and in the general population.Ear Hear,21,569-577.
4. Beattie, R.C.,Svihovec, D.A.,Edgerton, B.J.(1978).Comparison of speech detection and spondee thresholds and half- versus full-list intelligibility scores with MLV and taped presentations of NU-6.J. Am. Audiol. Soc.,3,267-272.
5. Chen, S.H.(2005).The effects of tones on speaking frequency and intensity ranges in Mandarin and Min dialects.J. Acoust. Soc. Am.,117,3225-3230.
6. Ching, T.Y.C.,Dillon, H.,Byrne, D.(1998).Speech recognition of hearing-impaired listeners: predictions from audibility and the limited role of high-frequency amplification.J. Acoust. Soc. Am.,103,1128-1140.
7. Gelfand, S.A.(2009).Essentials of Audiology.New York:Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc..
8. Halpin, C.,Rauch, S.D.(2009).Clinical implications of a damaged cochlea: pure tone thresholds vs. information-carrying capacity.Otolaryngol. Head Neck Surg.,140,473-476.
9. Huss, M.,Moore, B.C.J.(2005).Dead regions and pitch perception.J. Acoust. Soc. Am.,117,3841-3852.
10. Liu, S.,Samuel, A.G.(2004).Perception of Mandarin lexical tones when F0 information is neutralized.Lang. Speech,47,109-138.
11. Mackersie, C.L.,Crocker, T.L.,Davis, R.A.(2004).Limiting highfrequency hearing aid gain in listeners with and without suspected cochlear dead regions.J. Am. Acad. Audiol.,15,498-507.
12. Moore, B.C.J.,Glasberg, B.R.,Stone, M.A.(2004).New version of the TEN test with calibrations in dB HL.Ear Hear.,25,478-487.
13. Moore, B.C.J.,Huss, M.,Vickers, D.A.,Glasberg, B.R.,Alcantara, J.I.(2000).A test for the diagnosis of dead regions in the cochlea.Brit. J. Audiol.,34,205-224.
14. Moore, B.C.J.,Vickers, D.A.,Glasberg, B.R.,Baer, T.(1997).Comparison of real and simulated hearing impairment in subjects with unilateral and bilateral cochlear hearing loss.Brit. J. Audiol.,31,227-245.
15. Preminger, J.E.,Carpenter, R.,Ziegler, C.H.(2005).A clinical perspective on cochlear dead regions: intelligibility of speech and subjective hearing aid benefit.J. Am. Acad. Audiol.,16,600-613.
16. Vestergaard, M.D.(2003).Dead regions in the cochlea: implications for speech recognition and applicability of articulation index theory: Regiones cocleares muertas: implicaciones en el reconocimiento del lenguaje y su aplicabilidad en la teoría del índice de articulación.Int. J. Audiol.,42,249-261.
17. Vickers, D.A.,Moore, B.C.J.,Baer, T.(2001).Effects of low-pass filtering on the intelligibility of speech in quiet for people with and without dead regions at high frequencies.J. Acoust. Soc. Am.,110,1164-1175.
18. Vinay, Moore, B.C.(2007).Prevalence of dead regions in subjects with sensorineural hearing loss.Ear Hear.,28,231-241.
19. Wang, L.-T.,Chang, B.-L.(1981).A study on clinical application of the PB-word list in Mandarin speech sound.J. Taiwan Otolaryngol. Head Neck Surg.,16,9-20.
20. Yates, G.K.(1990).Basilar membrane nonlinearity and its influence on auditory nerve rate-intensity functions.Hear. Res.,50,145-162.