Biomedical subjects

J M Opie

Publications and source records attributed to J M Opie.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1998

The effects of hearing loss and noise masking on the masking release for speech in temporally complex backgrounds.

Speech recognition was measured in three groups of listeners: those with sensorineural hearing loss of (presumably) cochlear origin (HL), those with normal hearing (NH), and those with normal hearing who listened in the presence of a spectrally shaped noise that elevated their pure-tone thresholds to match those of individual listeners in the HL group (NM). Performance was measured in four backgrounds that differed only in their temporal envelope: steady-state (SS) speech-shaped noise, speech-shaped noise modulated by the envelope of multi-talker babble (MT), speech-shaped noise modulated by the envelope of single-talker speech (ST), and speech-shaped noise modulated by a 10-Hz square wave (SQ). Threshold signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) were typically best in the ST and especially the SQ conditions, indicating a masking release in those modulated backgrounds. SNRs in the SS and MT conditions were essentially identical to one another. The masking release was largest in the listeners in the NH group, and it tended to decrease as hearing loss increased. In 5 of the 11 listeners in the HL group, the masking release was nearly identical to that obtained in the NM group matched to those listeners; in the other 6 listeners, the release was smaller than that in the NM group. The reduced masking release was simulated best in those HL listeners for whom the masking release was relatively large. These results suggest that reduced masking release for speech in listeners with sensorineural hearing loss can only sometimes be accounted for entirely by reduced audibility.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

Evaluation of electrically elicited stapedius reflex threshold measured through three different cochlear implant systems.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate intraoperative electrically elicited stapedius reflex thresholds (ESRTs) measured through three different cochlear implant systems: the Nucleus Mini 22, the Clarion Enhanced Bipolar, and the Med-El Combi-40. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Relations between intraoperative ESRT and postoperative maximum comfort level (MCL) were examined in seven children (4 Nucleus, 2 Clarion, and 1 Med-El) and one adult (Clarion). RESULTS: Preliminary results indicated most ESRTs were either higher or both higher and lower (across the electrode array within a subject) than MCLs. All systems provided satisfactory means for measuring ERSTs. CONCLUSION: It is recommended that hand-held systems have a direct readout to the programming station and that audio and visual feedback be improved for all units.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1994

Monotic and dichotic modulation detection interference in practiced and unpracticed subjects.

The threshold for detecting 10-Hz amplitude modulation of a 1-kHz carrier was measured in quiet and in the presence of a 4-kHz masker carrier that was either unmodulated or amplitude modulated at a depth of 1.0 and at rates from 2 to 80 Hz. The signal and masker were presented to the same ear (monotic condition) or to opposite ears (dichotic condition), and the subjects either had no previous experience with psychoacoustic experiments (n = 10) or had from 16 to about 70 h of experience with modulation-detection tasks (n = 4). There were no significant differences between the two groups of subjects, although there was a significant effect of presentation mode. Thresholds generally were higher in the monotic condition, particularly when the masker rate was similar to the signal rate. According to excitation-pattern analyses, the greater interference in the monotic condition is unlikely due to peripheral interactions.

Acoustic Stimulation↗

PubMed1992

The effect of amplitude comodulation on auditory object formation in sentence perception.

To comprehend speech in most environments, listeners must combine some but not all sounds from across a wide range of frequencies. Three experiments were conducted to examine the role of amplitude comodulation in performing an essential part of this function: the grouping together of the simultaneous components of a speech signal. Each of the experiments used time-varying sinusoidal (TVS) sentences (Remez, Rubin, Pisoni, & Carrell, 1981) as base stimuli because their component tones are acoustically unrelated. The independence of the three tones reduced the number of confounding grouping cues available compared with those found in natural or computer-synthesized speech (e.g., fundamental frequency and simultaneity of harmonic onset). In each of the experiments, the TVS base stimuli were amplitude modulated to determine whether this modulation would lead to appropriate grouping of the three tones as reflected by sentence intelligibility. Experiment 1 demonstrated that amplitude comodulation at 100 Hz did improve the intelligibility of TVS sentences. Experiment 2 showed that the component tones of a TVS sentence must be comodulated (as opposed to independently modulated) for improvements in intelligibility to be found. Experiment 3 showed that the comodulation rates that led to intelligibility improvements were consistent with the effective rates found in experiments that examined the grouping of complex nonspeech sounds by common temporal envelopes (e.g., comodulation masking release; Hall, Haggard, & Fernandes, 1984). The results of these experiments support the claim that certain basic temporal-envelope processing capabilities of the human auditory system contribute to the perception of fluent speech.

Adult↗

PubMed1983

A test of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 secretory capacity in normal subjects for application in metabolic bone diseases.

The circulating concentration of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25-(OH)2D3] varies in man in response to a variety of physiological stimuli. In pathological states, random plasma 1,25-(OH)2D3 levels reflect the sum of the underlying pathological process and the homeostatic corrections to those perturbations. Hence random 1,25-(OH)2D3 levels do not allow differentiation as to whether changes in 1,25-(OH)2D3 production or metabolism are primary or secondary to other changes. Similarly random levels do not provide much insight into the reserve of 1,25-(OH)2D3 secretory capacity. We have developed a single infusion of parathyroid extract (PTE) as a test of 1,25-(OH)2D3 secretory capacity. Normal responses in twelve males and six females consisted of an increase in plasma 1,25-(OH)2D3 levels of 78% over basal in the male and 77% over basal in the female subjects. The peak response occurred 18-22 h after the PTE was administered. This test of 1,25-(OH)2D3 secretory capacity should prove useful in the evaluation of patients with metabolic bone disease. As part of this study, the diurnal plasma 1,25-(OH)2D3 level was examined in six males and seven females. There was no significant diurnal rhythm between 8.00 and 22.00 h.

Adult↗