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Effect of a contralateral masking stimulus on auditory response performance.
The Journal of Auditory Research
|April 1, 1983
Summary
Central masking effects on hearing threshold levels (HTLs) depend on stimulus timing. Pulsed masking with pulsed tones resulted in higher threshold shifts compared to continuous stimuli in normal-hearing adults.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Auditory Neuroscience
- Psychoacoustics
Background:
- Understanding central masking is crucial for accurate hearing threshold level (HTL) assessment.
- The influence of temporal characteristics of auditory stimuli on central masking remains an area for detailed investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of temporal presentation (continuous vs. pulsed) of masked and masking stimuli on HTLs.
- To compare the efficacy of Bekesy, Up-Down, and Ascending procedures in evaluating central masking effects.
Main Methods:
- Hearing threshold levels (HTLs) were measured in 5 normal-hearing adults using Bekesy, Up-Down, and Ascending methods.
- Contralateral narrow-band noise masking at 70 dB SL was applied.
- Stimuli (masked and masking) were presented in continuous or pulsed forms, and Bekesy tracing width, response-level performance, and decision latency were analyzed.
Main Results:
- HTLs were influenced by stimulus temporal characteristics in quiet and noise.
- Higher threshold shifts were observed with pulsed/pulsed stimuli compared to continuous/continuous stimuli in the Bekesy procedure.
- Pulsed masking noise decreased Bekesy tracing width, while continuous masking increased it; performance and latency were procedure-dependent.
Conclusions:
- The temporal presentation of auditory stimuli significantly affects central masking.
- The Bekesy procedure appears most suitable for investigating central masking phenomena due to its sensitivity to temporal variations.