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Applications
As a fortuitous consequence of our basic research concerning sensorineural processes, we believe that we have revealed fundamental auditory processes that serve to make speech more intelligible under normal listening conditions. We refer to these processes as "spectral enhancement." With Professor Jenison, we have developed a signal-processing algorithm that enhances spectral information is much the same way that we hypothesize the auditory system to operate. This algorithm makes speech more resistant to distortion such as that found in hearing impairment. In addition, this processing algorithm may serve to improve computer speech recognition. In this ongoing project, we have tested many normal-hearing listeners in studies using simulated hearing loss, and our processing substantially improves recognition. We soon will be extending this work to listeners with hearing impairments and to computer speech recognition.
In another line of applied research, with Professor Julia Evans and Dr. Jeffry Coady, we are studying auditory processing of complex sounds by children with Specific Language Impairment (SLI). In this work, we are studying how young listeners maintain perceptual organization of complex sounds under a variety of listening challenges. In some, but not all experiments, we can assess joint and separate roles of auditory and linguistic processes in maintaining coherent perception.