Frequency resolving power (FRP) of hearing was measured in listeners 30 to 82 years old as a maximal resolved ripple
density (ripples/oct) of rippled-spectrum signals. The rippled-spectrum signal should be distinguished either from
another rippled signal with different positions of ripples on the frequency scale or from a “flat”-spectrum signal with
no spectral ripples. Signals had either 2-oct wide frequency band centered at 1, 2, or 4 kHz, or had a wide frequency
band 0.125–8 kHz. Listeners older than 60 had substantially increased tonal thresholds (haring loss). If the listener
should distinguish a rippled test signal from a rippled reference signal, FRP correlated with the tonal threshold: the
higher threshold, the lower FRP. For all the signals, the trend of the dependence was from –0.04 to –0.07
ripples/oct·dB. It is suggested that in this case, the test and reference signals were discriminated by the spectral
mechanism and depended on the interrelation between the ripple density and acuteness of the frequency-tuned filters. If
the listener should distinguish the ripple test signal from a flat reference signal, the FRP dependence on tonal
threshold was not statistically significant for 2-oct-wide signals on condition that the signal level was above
threshold. Or the wide-band signal, the FRP dependence on tonal threshold was statistically significant with a trend of
–1.23 ripples/oct·dB. It is suggested that in this case, the test and reference signal were discriminated by the
temporal-processing mechanism and depended on the perceived frequency range.
Key words:
hearing, hearing loss, rippled spectra, spectral discrimination, temporal processing
DOI: 10.31857/S023500922303006X
EDN: UGPERQ
Cite:
Nechaev D. I., Milekhina O. N., Tomozova M. S., Supin A. Ya.
Razlichenie grebenchatykh spektrov u ispytuemykh s oslablennym slukhom pri dvukh skhemakh eksperimenta
[Discrimination of rippled spectra in listeners with hearing loss at two experimental paradigms].
Sensornye sistemy [Sensory systems].
2023.
V. 37(3).
P. 269–280 (in Russian). doi: 10.31857/S023500922303006X
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