Auditory signal processing in hearing-impaired persons with residual high-frequency hearing

A number of persons with severe sensorineural hearing losses in the frequency range below 6000 Hz have been shown to have near‐normal thresholds for frequencies above 6000 Hz. This paper reports on measures of high‐frequency signal processing in seven persons with this type of heating impairment. Measures taken include estimates of difference limens for intensity and frequency, gap detection, rate discrimination, and narrow‐band masking functions. Although little normative data exist for comparative purposes, measures of frequency, intensity, and time resolution are within the range of what one would anticipate by extrapolation. Intensity and frequency differences limens, and wideband and narrow‐band masking functions also were obtained in the region of impaired hearing {i.e., 3–6 kHz}; narrow‐band masking measures and difference limens indicated impaired frequency processing and varied between subjects. Intensity discrimination fell within previously published ranges. [Work supported by the National Institutes of Health.]