Modeling detection of 500-Hertz tones in reproducible noise for listeners with sensorineural hearing loss

Detection of tones in reproducible noises provides detailed patterns of hit and false-alarm rates across sets of masker waveforms. Analysis of these detection patterns can identify the cues or combination of cues listeners use for detection in narrowband and wideband noise. Recent work has shown that diotic detection patterns of listeners with normal hearing (NH) are significantly correlated to energy and envelope cues; fine-structure cues also contribute for wideband maskers. Detection patterns are best predicted by an optimal cue-combination model based on signal-detection theory. In this study, listeners with mild to moderate sensorineural hearing loss (HL) were tested using the same waveforms. Their diotic detection patterns were best predicted by energy or envelope cues, with little contribution of fine-structure timing. Also, unlike NH patterns, predictions of HL patterns were rarely improved by an optimal combination of cues. For dichotic detection, NH patterns were better predicted by the slope of the interaural envelope difference (SIED) than by ITD or ILD cues. For HL patterns, the SIED cue, a nonlinear combination of ITD and ILD cues, generally did not predict detection patterns. These results illustrate differences between NH and HL listeners in the use and combination of cues for detection in noise.