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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: GR/N07219/01
Title: NON-LINEAR COCHLEAR FUNCTION IN LISTENERS WITH NORMAL AND IMPAIRED HEARING
Principal Investigator: Plack, Prof. C
Other Investigators:
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Department: Psychology
Organisation: University of Essex
Scheme: Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts: 01 June 2000 Ends: 31 May 2003 Value (£): 135,500
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Vision & Senses - ICT appl.
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Creative Industries Information Technologies
No relevance to Underpinning Sectors
Related Grants:
Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
The aim is to provide a detailed characterisation of non-linear cochlear mechanics in normally-hearing and hearing impaired human listeners. A psychophysical procedure will be used, with listeners making responses to sounds presented over headphones. Experiments will measure the detectability of a pure-tone signal in the presence of a masker of variable frequency. Two techniques are proposed: (I) The signal is presented after a masking tone (forward masking). (ii) Signal bursts are alternated with masker bursts and threshold is taken as the masker level required to cause the signal to sound continuous (pulsation threshold). A transformation is described that will allow these masking functions to be converted into the response functions of each place on the basilar membrane, for any input frequency relative to the characteristic frequency of that place. The results will provide a basis for the development of a digital model of peripheral frequency selectivity. The results from the impaired listeners will improve our understanding of the nature of the underlying deficit in sensorineural hearing loss, and aid the development of signal-processing prostheses.
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Organisation Website: http://www.sx.ac.uk