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J Am Acad Audiol 1999; 10(04): 198-210
DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-1748481
Original Article

Auditory Temporal and Spectral Resolution in Normal and Impaired Hearing

Birgitta Larsby
Division of Technical Audiology, Department of Neuroscience and Locomotion, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
,
Stig Arlinger
Division of Technical Audiology, Department of Neuroscience and Locomotion, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
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Abstract

Temporal, spectral, and combined temporal-spectral resolution of hearing was assessed by recording masked hearing thresholds. The masker was an octave band noise. Spectral resolution was assessed by introducing a spectral gap of half an octave bandwidth in the masker. A 50–msec gap assessed temporal resolution. The spectral and temporal gaps were used separately or simultaneously. Normal-hearing and hearing-impaired subjects participated. For each masking condition, the subjects were tested at masker levels 50, 60, 70, and 80 dB SPL and at test-tone frequencies 0.5,1, 2, and 4 kHz. Normal-hearing subjects showed reduced masking with spectral and temporal gaps. The combination of spectral and temporal gap reduced masking further. The release of masking was dependent upon the masker level. Hearing-impaired subjects showed less release of masking than normal-hearing subjects. The degree of hearing impairment was inversely related to release of masking. Reliability of the test procedure was assessed.

Abbreviations: HI = hearing impaired, MCL = most comfortable level, NH = normal hearing, OAD = obscure auditory dysfunction, RoM = release of masking

Key Words

Combined temporal-spectral resolution - hearing - masker level - normal hearing - release of masking - sensorineural hearing impairment - spectral resolution - temporal resolution


Publication History

Article published online:
28 April 2022

© 1999. American Academy of Audiology. This article is published by Thieme.

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