Age-related changes in talker recognition with reduced spectral cues

Area of Science:

• Audiology
• Speech-Language Pathology
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Cochlear implants provide temporal cues for speech perception but limited spectral information hinders voice perception.
• Understanding how spectral degradation affects auditory processing in children is crucial for cochlear implant users.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine talker identification and speech decoding in young children, older children, and adults using vocoder simulations of cochlear implant processing.
• To assess the impact of spectral information on these tasks across different age groups.

Main Methods:

• Vocoder simulations mimicking cochlear implant spectral processing were used.
• Participants (young children, older children, adults) performed talker identification (closed-set) and speech decoding (open-set) tasks.
• Spectral resolution was systematically varied.

Main Results:

• Younger children performed worse on talker identification than older listeners.
• All age groups demonstrated similar benefits from increased spectral information in both tasks.
• Speech decoding accuracy was higher than talker identification accuracy at comparable spectral degradation levels.

Conclusions:

• Hearing children's performance with spectrally degraded speech provides insights into challenges faced by child cochlear implant recipients.
• Spectral resolution is critical for both speech decoding and talker identification, particularly for younger listeners.
• Further research is needed to optimize cochlear implant processing for improved voice perception in children.