Application of Ideal Binary Masking to Disordered Speech

Dysarthria and hearing loss are communication disorders that can substantially reduce intelligibility of speech and the addition of background noise adds a further challenge. This proposal utilizes an established signal processing technique, currently exploited for improved understanding of speech in noise for listeners with hearing loss, to investigate its potential application to overcome speech-in-noise difficulties for listeners understanding dysarthric speech. Successful completion of this project will demonstrate proof-of-concept for the application of this signal processing technique to dysarthric speech in noise, and inform the development of an R01 proposal to perform a large-scale evaluation of the technology, and clinically meaningful implications, in a broad range of disordered speech types and severities.

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Key information

Conditions

Hearing Loss, Sensorineural Articulation Disorders Communication Disorders Dysarthria Ear Diseases Hearing Disorders Hearing Loss Language Disorders Nervous System Diseases Neurobehavioral Manifestations Neurologic Manifestations Otorhinolaryngologic Diseases Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Sensation Disorders Signs and Symptoms Speech Disorders

Age range

18 year–90 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Utah State University

Logan, Utah, 43221, United States

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

INCLUSION CRITERIA for All Participants

Native speakers of American English
No history of speech or language impairment
No significant prior contact with persons having neurogenic speech disorders

Inclusion criteria

for Participants with Normal Hearing

18 to 70 years of age
Auditory thresholds of 20 dB HL or better bilaterally at octave frequencies from 250-8000 Hz (if under 55 years of age)
Auditory thresholds of 25 dB HL or better bilaterally at octave frequencies from 250-4000 Hz (if over 55 years of age)

Inclusion criteria

for Participants with Sensorineural Hearing Loss

18 to 90 years of age

Exclusion criteria

EXCLUSION CRITERIA for All Participants
Mild or profound hearing loss
Conductive or mixed hearing loss
Asymmetric hearing loss
Obvious concomitant cognitive or mental impairment
Unable to achieve upward of 20% words correct

Treatment and study plan

Ideal binary mask

Behavioral

Speech in noise processed by ideal binary mask to reduce background noise

Primary outcomes

Percent Correct Speech Intelligibility

Time frame: One hour

Percent of keywords correctly identified by the participant for the processed speech stimuli, listeners were presented with phrases containing several words and they reported back what they heard. The number of words corrected reported by each listener was counted and converted to a 'percent correct' score.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Utah State University

Other

Registry information

Important dates

Study start: 2021
Primary completion: 2023
Study completion: 2023
First posted: Feb 17, 2022
Registry last updated: Mar 26, 2025

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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Completed