LAUSR

This report reviews previous studies on the recognition of environmental sounds (ES) by people with hearing impairment (HI). When identifying ES, spectral-temporal information provides important clues about the nature of the ES. In addition, ES can be identified using contextual information, especially when the ES is ambiguous. Individuals with HI can identify ES by utilizing spectral-temporal information, but are subject to the limitations of hearing loss. Increased hearing loss results in decreased ability to identify ES. Additionally, studies suggest that sounds with low peak frequency and periodic temporal patterns are more easily recognizable to people with HI than other sounds. It is important for people with HI to use contextual information to recognize ES to compensate for hearing loss. However, some people with HI cannot utilize contextual cues because they cannot associate a sound with its auditory imagery. Previous studies have used methodology centered on behavioral experiments, and there is a paucity of references on the role of central auditory processing in the recognition of ES. Future studies should apply neurophysiological methods to investigate this aspect of ES identification.