A narrowband masker selectively taxes temporal coding in hearing-impaired listeners

Evidence

Unlike physiological experiments, where we can measure the response elicited by a single stimulus, a masking study always involves at least two sounds: a signal and a masker. The signal is the sound being detected, whereas the masker is the interfering sound. Often the signal is a pure tone, but in principle, it can be any type of sound, such as speech and complex sounds. The same is true for the masker; it can be any type of sound such as noise, speech, or tones. In these studies, by measuring the influence of a masker on a signal, we can make inferences about how the signal or the masker is represented by the auditory system. — Jennifer Lentz, Psychoacoustics- Perception of Normal…, 441 (#expands, via linked claim)

To understand Hall et al.’s results, we must first consider how a fluctuating masker may provide benefits to a listener. A fluctuating masker has “dips” or “valleys” in the waveform. These dips provide brief epochs in time that have high signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs), compared with the waveform peaks, and a listener with normal hearing can take advantage of these dips to detect a signal (Buus, 1985). Steady maskers do not have pronounced dips and therefore do not provide opportunities for dip listening. — Jennifer Lentz, Psychoacoustics- Perception of Normal…, 551 (#complicates, via linked claim)

Categorization

• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim
• XREF: connects to: Temporal integration up to 200 ms approximates masking for in-band signals — Professor Dr.-Ing. Hugo Fastl, Professor Dr.-Ing. Eberhard, Psychoacoustics- Facts and Models, 1698; Hearing-impaired listeners fail to gain temporal resolution in background noise — Professor Dr.-Ing. Hugo Fastl, Professor Dr.-Ing. Eberhard, Psychoacoustics- Facts and Models, 1933; Quiet-versus-narrowband-masked AM threshold differences can isolate temporal coding from cochlear compression (+9 more)

Related

• Quiet-versus-narrowband-masked AM threshold differences can isolate temporal coding from cochlear compression (similarity 0.90)
• Narrowband noise masks AM detection most in listeners with the poorest cochlear gain measures. (similarity 0.87)
• Hearing loss extends internal masker persistence and shrinks duration benefits (similarity 0.87)
• Normal-hearing listeners exploit temporal dips in fluctuating maskers to detect signals. (similarity 0.86)
• Hearing-impaired listeners fail to gain temporal resolution in background noise (similarity 0.86)
• Forward-masking recovery is slower in sensorineural hearing loss regardless of audibility (similarity 0.85)
• Masking experiments infer auditory representation from masker effects on signals. (similarity 0.85)
• Temporal integration up to 200 ms approximates masking for in-band signals (similarity 0.85)
• Broadband masking can compare filter-widening harm against temporal-coding harm (similarity 0.85)
• Loud maskers can paradoxically improve audibility at condensation peaks. (similarity 0.84)
• Narrowband masking and differential metrics can isolate temporal coding deficits from filter width (similarity 0.84)
• Frequency-specific hearing loss drives multi-band hearing aid processing (similarity 0.84)
• Broader cochlear filtering reduces low-frequency noise fluctuations, explaining lost masking release (similarity 0.84)
• Forward masking measures temporal processing between distinct sounds. (similarity 0.83)
• Reducing audible fluctuations in a masker lowers post-masked thresholds by up to 24 dB (similarity 0.83)

Broader Connections

• Masking experiments infer auditory representation from masker effects on signals. #expands (0.82) — Jennifer Lentz, Psychoacoustics- Perception of Normal…, 441
• Normal-hearing listeners exploit temporal dips in fluctuating maskers to detect signals. #complicates (0.80) — Jennifer Lentz, Psychoacoustics- Perception of Normal…, 551
• Broadband masking can compare filter-widening harm against temporal-coding harm #expands (0.80)
• Differential metrics can separate cochlear gain loss from temporal coding deficits in hearing loss #expands (0.78) — Dijk, Pim van, Physiology, Psychoacoustics and…, 5870
• Broader cochlear filtering reduces low-frequency noise fluctuations, explaining lost masking release #complicates (0.75) — Dijk, Pim van, Physiology, Psychoacoustics and…, 2161
• The audiogram cannot predict which hearing-impaired listeners have temporal processing deficits #corroborates (0.72) — Jennifer Lentz, Psychoacoustics- Perception of Normal…, 1088