Since the first edition was published in 1998, considerable advances have been made in the fields of pitch perception and speech perception. In addition, there have been major changes in the way that hearing aids work, and the features they offer. This book will provide an understanding of the changes in perception that take place when a person has cochlear hearing loss so the reader understands not only what does happen, but why it happens. It interrelates physiological and perceptual data and presents both this and basic concepts in an integrated manner. The goal is to convey an understanding of the perceptual changes associated with cochlear hearing loss, of the difficulties faced by the hearing-impaired person, and the limitations of current hearing aids.
Hearing loss caused by damage to the cochlea is amongst the most common forms of hearing loss in the developed world and affects approximately 7% of the population. Over the last 20 years there has been a revolution in our understanding of the mechanisms of sound analysis in the normal cochlea. The mechanisms associated with cochlear hearing loss are also better understood as a result. Most advances in understanding, however, have been related to physiological mechanisms.
Cochlear Hearing Loss, 2e focuses on the perceptual changes in hearing associated with cochlear hearing loss and relates those to the underlying physiological mechanisms. The book provides a theoretical framework for understanding and interpreting the perceptual changes in hearing experienced by sufferers so that readers will understand not just what happens, but also why it happens. A discussion of the limitations and benefits of hearing aids is also provided, along with an overview of digital hearing aids.
Topics discussed within Cochlear Hearing Loss, 2e include:
- the physiology of the peripheral auditory system;
- absolute thresholds;
- frequency selectivity and masking;
- loudness, pitch and speech perception;
- sound localisation and binaural processing;
- signal processing in hearing aids, and methods of adjusting hearing aids to suit the individual.
This revised and substantially updated 2nd edition contains essential reading for audiologists, hearing-aid dispensers, hearing-aid acousticians, researchers in hearing science, otologists, ENT specialists and students in related disciplines.
