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Speech-on-Speech Masking by Voice-Gender Differences and Spatial Separation Cues: Normal Hearing Versus Simulated
Yonghee Oh1, Caroline Cuthbertson1, Ashley Stacy1
1Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and Communicative Disorders, University of Louisville, KY.
Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research : JSLHR
|April 27, 2026
Summary
Simulated single-sided deafness (SSD) shifts speech segregation reliance from integrating spatial and voice cues to prioritizing voice gender differences. Listeners with SSD can improve speech understanding by using voice cues and the head-shadow effect with specific masker placements.
Area of Science:
- Auditory Neuroscience
- Psychoacoustics
- Speech Perception
Background:
- Binaural hearing aids normal-hearing listeners in speech segregation using spatial and voice cues.
- Single-sided deafness (SSD) presents challenges for auditory spatial processing and speech understanding.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of simulated single-sided deafness (SSD) on speech segregation.
- To examine how voice-gender differences and spatial separation influence masking release in simulated SSD.
Main Methods:
- Speech recognition thresholds (SRTs) were measured in normal-hearing (NH) listeners under binaural and simulated SSD conditions.
- Target speech was presented centrally, with competing maskers at various spatial locations.
- Masking release from voice and spatial cues was calculated for same- and different-gender talker conditions.
Main Results:
- Normal-hearing listeners utilized both spatial and voice cues for masking release.
- In simulated SSD, masking release was predominantly driven by voice-gender differences.
- Equal weighting of voice and spatial cues occurred in simulated SSD when maskers were 60° apart and ipsilateral to the simulated deafened ear.
Conclusions:
- Simulated SSD necessitates a shift from cue integration to strategic prioritization in the auditory system.
- Listeners with simulated SSD can enhance speech segregation by utilizing voice-gender cues and the head-shadow effect.
- Optimal speech segregation in simulated SSD is achieved when competing sound sources are positioned around 60° ipsilateral to the deafened ear.
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