%0 Journal Article
%T Modeling Sluggishness in Binaural Unmasking of Speech for Maskers With Time-Varying Interaural Phase Differences
%A Christopher F. Hauth
%A Thomas Brand
%J Archive of "Trends in Hearing".
%D 2018
%R 10.1177/2331216517753547
%X In studies investigating binaural processing in human listeners, relatively long and task-dependent time constants of a binaural window ranging from 10£¿ms to 250£¿ms have been observed. Such time constants are often thought to reflect ¡°binaural sluggishness.¡± In this study, the effect of binaural sluggishness on binaural unmasking of speech in stationary speech-shaped noise is investigated in 10 listeners with normal hearing. In order to design a masking signal with temporally varying binaural cues, the interaural phase difference of the noise was modulated sinusoidally with frequencies ranging from 0.25£¿Hz to 64£¿Hz. The lowest, that is the best, speech reception thresholds (SRTs) were observed for the lowest modulation frequency. SRTs increased with increasing modulation frequency up to 4£¿Hz. For higher modulation frequencies, SRTs remained constant in the range of 1£¿dB to 1.5£¿dB below the SRT determined in the diotic situation. The outcome of the experiment was simulated using a short-term binaural speech intelligibility model, which combines an equalization¨Ccancellation (EC) model with the speech intelligibility index. This model segments the incoming signal into 23.2-ms time frames in order to predict release from masking in modulated noises. In order to predict the results from this study, the model required a further time constant applied to the EC mechanism representing binaural sluggishness. The best agreement with perceptual data was achieved using a temporal window of 200£¿ms in the EC mechanism
%K speech reception thresholds
%K binaural
%K auditory model
%K interaural phase difference
%K binaural sluggishness
%U https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5774735/