Dingemanse JG, Vroegop JL, Goedegebure A. Effects of a transient noise reduction algorithm on speech intelligibility in noise, noise tolerance and perceived annoyance in cochlear implant users.
Int J Audiol 2018;
57:360-369. [PMID:
29334269 DOI:
10.1080/14992027.2018.1425004]
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the validity and efficacy of a transient noise reduction algorithm (TNR) in cochlear implant processing and the interaction of TNR with a continuous noise reduction algorithm (CNR).
DESIGN
We studied the effects of TNR and CNR on the perception of realistic sound samples with transients, using subjective ratings of annoyance, a speech-in-noise test and a noise tolerance test.
STUDY SAMPLE
Participants were 16 experienced cochlear implant recipients wearing an Advanced Bionics Naida Q70 processor.
RESULTS
CI users rated sounds with transients as moderately annoying. Annoyance was slightly, but significantly reduced by TNR. Transients caused a large decrease in speech intelligibility in noise and a moderate decrease in noise tolerance, measured on the Acceptable Noise Level test. The TNR had no significant effect on noise tolerance or on speech intelligibility in noise. The combined application of TNR and CNR did not result in interactions.
CONCLUSIONS
The TNR algorithm was effective in reducing annoyance from transient sounds, but was not able to prevent a decreasing effect of transients on speech understanding in noise and noise tolerance. TNR did not reduce the beneficial effect of CNR on speech intelligibility in noise, but no cumulated improvement was found either.
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