The minimum detectable duration of auditory signals for normal and hearing-impaired listeners

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Abstract
The minimum detectable duration of a brief burst of noise and a brief noise gap were measured by the 2-alternative forced-choice method. For all listeners the minimum detectable duration of a burst was shorter than the minimum detectable duration of a gap at equal signal-to-noise ratios. For 12 listeners with normal hearing, the average minimum detectable duration of a burst with a 10-dB signal-to-noise ratio was 1.2 ms, whereas the average of a gap at the same signal-to-noise ratio was 4.2 ms. Of 10 hearing-impaired listeners, 9 required longer durations, whether for bursts or gaps, than the average of normal listeners. These 9 impaired listeners had slower time constants than any of the normal listeners. Both the rise and decay of auditory sensation in the impaired listeners were therefore abnormally slow.

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