Backward and forward masking in listeners with severe sensorineural hearing loss

Using synthetic stimuli, backward and forward masking by a first-formant stimulus were measured for two tasks: (1) discrimination of a second-formant transition and (2) pure-tone detection. 16 listeners with moderate to severe sensorineural hearing impairment were studied. Many of the listeners showed backward and forward discrimination masking, sometimes extending as far as 200 ms before or after the first-formant interval. There were large individual differences in degree and temporal extent of masking. The masking contribution of sensitivity shifts, as indicated by pure-tone detection levels, appeared to be limited to a range of only 50 ms before or after the first-formant masker.