Enhanced pinna cues only partially close the spatial-resolution gap in hearing-impaired listeners
Evidence
This study compared the ability to discriminate simulated normally-sized pinna cues with the ability to discriminate two different sets of simulated enhanced pinna cues, in a group of NH test subjects and in a group of HI test subjects, respectively. The results showed that the NH group discriminated equally well with all three sets of pinna cues, showing a mean MAA of around 10° across cue types and reference angle. In the HI group, use of W-cues improved the mean MAA from around 30° to around 20°. This improvement was significant and twice as large as the non-significant mean improvement (from around 25° to 20°) offered by the T-cues. — Dijk, Pim van, Physiology, Psychoacoustics and…, 3133
Naylor and Weinrich ( 2011 ) described a hearing-aid configuration incorporating a method to create directional spectral cues with similar characteristics to pinna cues, but in a lower frequency region around 2–6 kHz, whereby they would be easier to perceive for hearing-impaired test subjects. The hypothesis was that hearing-aid users could learn to utilise these cues and thereby retrieve lost spatial hearing abilities. — Dijk, Pim van, Physiology, Psychoacoustics and…, 3053
The NH data may be used as a reference in the discussion of the HI data. When the two data sets are compared (see Fig. 6 ), it is noteworthy that even though the use of enhanced cues improves the HI performance in the MAA measurements (from around 30° to around 20°), the mean performance with enhanced cues is still substantially poorer than NH mean performance, which is around 10° with all three types of cues. It may be questioned whether improving the MAA from 30° to 20° will result in any perceivable real-life benefit, but answering this question will obviously require further testing including training test subjects to exploit modified pinna cues. — Dijk, Pim van, Physiology, Psychoacoustics and…, 3128
Categorization
- QUESTION: Why did W-cues help HI listeners but not NH listeners? The NH group discriminated equally well across all cue sets, suggesting ceiling effect or a different localization strategy.
- XREF: Connects to prior discussion of hearing-aid frequency range and impaired spectral resolution limits. — connects to: Elevated hearing thresholds impair spatial separation of direct sound from room reflections.; Oversized-pinna cue simulation barely improves vertical localization for hearing-impaired listeners — Dijk, Pim van, Physiology, Psychoacoustics and…, 3048; Hearing impairment makes fine high-frequency pinna cues imperceptible (+7 more)
- corroborated: 7 independent passages support this claim — Dijk, Pim van, Physiology, Psychoacoustics and…, 3133; Dijk, Pim van, Physiology, Psychoacoustics and…, 3053; Dijk, Pim van, Physiology, Psychoacoustics and…, 3128
Broader Connections
- Even enlarged pinna cues leave hearing-impaired localization far below normal
#corroborates(0.95) — Dijk, Pim van, Physiology, Psychoacoustics and…, 3050 - Wide-cue pinna size improves MAA only for hearing-impaired listeners
#qualifies(0.80) - Down-shifted Weinrich cues improve MAA in hearing-impaired listeners by about ten degrees
#qualifies(0.72) — Dijk, Pim van, Physiology, Psychoacoustics and…, 3052 - Sound localization deficits in hearing loss come from neural coding changes, not audibility.
#qualifies(0.70)