Anna K. Nabelek, Ph.D.

Research Emeritus
865-974-1806
anabelek@utk.edu

Dr. Anna K. Nabelek’s research interests are in the area of hearing aid efficacy and evaluation of hearing aid outcome procedures, specifically acceptable noise level (ANL). Current ANL research is examining the effect of amplification on ANL, the comparison of ANL to other predictive/outcome measures in audiology, and the predictive value of ANL. Dr. Nabelek has directed and sponsored many grants in this area. She has also directed numerous student research projects and has served as a committee member for various other projects. Dr. Nabelek has received external support to fund her career, fellow colleagues, and students over the last 20 years.

The Acceptable Noise Level (ANL) research program

EDUCATION

B.S.; Electroacoustics; Warsaw Politechnic, Poland; 1955
M.S.; Electroacoustics; Warsaw Politechnic, Poland; 1959
Ph.D.; Architectural Acoustics; Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland; 1966

GRANTS, AWARDS AND HONORS

Recent Research Funding:

Freyaldenhoven MC, Nabelek AK, Plyler PN. (2005).
Faculty Sponsor: Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award.  

NIH, NIDCD Grant number: RO1 DC005018 (09/10/2001-08/31/04)
New Test for Predicting Hearing Aid Use: This project determined that acceptance of background noise while listening to speech is related to hearing aid use, which led to the development of a model for predicting success with hearing aids. The PI’s role in this investigation was design, design implementation, supervision of data collection, data analysis, and project reporting.

NIH NIDCD. Grant number RO1 DC005018S (Supplement) (09/10/2001-08/31/04) Acceptance of Background Noise with Different Hearing Aid Circuits (Research Supplement for Graduate Research Assistant, Melinda C. Freyaldenhoven, M.A.): This investigation determined that acceptance of background noise is capable of quantifying hearing aid directional benefit. The PI’s role in this investigation was design, design implementation, supervision of data collection, data analysis, and project reporting.

Awards and Honors:

Notable University of Tennessee Woman (2003)
Career Research Award, American Academy of Audiology (2001)
Reviewer for professional journals including The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America
Fellow, Acoustical Society of America

SELECTED REFEREED PUBLICATIONS

Nabelek, I.V., Nabelek, A.K., & Hirsh, I.J. (1973) Pitch of sound bursts with continuous and discontinuous change of frequency, Journal of the Acoustical Society America, 53, 1305-1312.

Nabelek, A.K. & Pickett, J.M. (1974a). Reception of consonants in a classroom as affected by monaural and binaural listening, noise reverberation and hearing aids. Journal of the Acoustical Society America, 56, 628-639.

Nabelek, A.K. & Pickett, J.M. (1974b). Monaural and binaural speech reception through hearing aids under noise and reverberation with normal and hearing-impaired listeners. Journal of Speech and Hearing Research 17, 724-739.

Nabelek, AK. & Nabelek, I.V. (1978). Noise control by acoustical treatment, In Handbook of Noise Abatement and Control. Taylor, A. and Lipscomb, D. (Eds.), Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., New York, NY. pp. 131-157.

Nabelek, A.K. & Nabelek, I.V. (1978). Principles of noise control, In Noise and Audiology. Lipscomb, D. (Ed.), University Park Press, Baltimore, MD, 1978. pp. 59-79

Nabelek, A.K. & Robinette, L.N. (1978a). Reverberation as a parameter in clinical testing. Audiology 17, 129-159.

Nabelek, A.K. & Robinette, L.N. (1978b). Influence of the precedence effect on word-identification by normal-hearing and hearing-impaired subjects. Journal of the Acoustical Society America 63, 187-194.

Nabelek, A.K., Letowski, T., & Mason, D. (1980). An influence of binaural hearing aids For positioning of sound images. Journal of Speech and Hearing Research,, 23, 670-687.

Nabelek, A.K. (1980a). Effects of room acoustics in speech perception through hearing aids by normal hearing and hearing-impaired listeners, In: Acoustical Factors Affecting Hearing Aid Performance. Studebaker, G. and Hochberg, I. (Eds.), University Park Press, Baltimore, MD. pp.25-46.

Nabelek, A.K. (1980). Effects of room acoustics on speech perception through hearing aids, In: Binaural Hearing and Amplification, Libby, E. (Ed.), Zenetron, Inc., Chicago, IL. pp. 123-145.

Nabelek, A.K. & Mason, D. (1981). Effect of noise and reverberation on binaural and monaural word identification by subjects with various audiograms, Journal of Speech and Hearing Research, 24, 375-383.

Nabelek, A.K. & Mason, D. (1982). Speech perception in noise and reverberation by listeners with asymetrical pure tone audiograms. Hearing Instruments, January, 22-24.

Nabelek, A.K. & Robinson, P. (1982). Monaural and binaural speech perception in reverberation for various ages. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 71, 1242-1248.

Nabelek, A.K. (1982). Temporal distortions and noise considerations, In: The Vanderbilt Hearing-Aid Report, Studebaker, G.A. and Bess, F.H. (Eds.), Monographs in Contemporary Audiology, Upper Darby, PA. pp. 51-59.

Nabelek, A.K. & Robinson, P.K. (1983). Consonant errors in noise and reverberation, J Acoust. Soc. Am., 73, S103.

Nabelek, A.K. & Donahue, A.M. (1984). Perception of consonants in reverberation by native and non-native listeners Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 75, 632-634.

Nabelek, A.K. & Nabelek, I.V. (1985). Room acoustics and speech perception, In: Handbook of clinical Audiology, Katz, J. (Ed.), Third Edition. The Williams and Wilkins Co., Baltimore, MD. pp. 834-846.

Nabelek, A.K. (1985). Accomodating listeners with special needs in worship spaces, In: Acoustics of Worship Spaces. Lubman, D. and Wetherill, E. (Eds.), American Institute of Physics, New York, NY .pp XIII - XIV.

Nabelek, A.K. & Letowski, T.(1985). Vowel confusions of hearing-impaired listeners under reverberant and nonreverberant conditions, Journal of Speech and Hearing Disorders, 50, 126-131.

Letowski, T., Donahue, A.M., & Nabelek, A.K. (1986). An induction loop listening system designed for a classroom. Journal of Rehabilitation Research Development, 23, 63-69.

Nabelek, A.K., Donahue, A.M., & Letowski, T.R. (1986). Comparison of amplification systems in a classroom. Journal of Rehabilitation Research Development, 23, 41-52.

Nabelek, A.K. & Dagenais, P. (1986). Vowel errors in noise and in reverberation by hearing-impaired listeners. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America , 80, 741-748.

Nabelek, A.K. & Donahue, A.M. (1986). Comparison of amplification systems in an auditorium. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 79, 2078-2082.

Nabelek, A.K. & Letowski, T.R. (1988). Similarities of vowels in non-reverberant and reverberant fields. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 83, 1891-1899.

Nabelek, A.K. (1988). Identification of vowels in quiet, noise, and relationships with age, and hearing loss. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 84, 476-484.

Nabelek, A.K., Letowski, T.R., & Tucker, F. (1989). Reverberant overlap-and self-masking in consonant identification, Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 86, 1259-1265.

Takata, Y. & Nabelek, A.K. (1990). English consonant recognition in noise and in reverberation by Japanese and American listeners, Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 88, 663-666.

Nabelek, A.K., Letowski, & T.R., Tucker, F.M. (1991). Toleration of background noises: relationship with patterns of hearing aid use by elderly persons. Journal of Speech and Hearing Research, 34, 679-685.

Nabelek, A.K. (1992). Communication in noisy and reverberant environments. In Acoustical Factors Affecting Hearing Aid Performance. Studebaker, G. and Hochberg, I. (Eds.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon, pp. 15-28.

Nabelek, A.K., Czyzewski, Z., & Krishnan, L.A. (1992). The influence of talker differences on vowel identification by normal-hearing and hearing-impaired listeners. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 92, 1228-1246.

Nabelek, A.K., Czyzewski, Z., & Crowley, H.J. (1993). Vowel boundaries for steady-state and linear format trajectories. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 94, 675-687.

Nabelek, A.K., Czyzewski, Z., & Crowley, H.J. (1994). Cues for perception of the diphthong /a/ in either noise or reverberation. Part I. Duration of the transition. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 95, 2681-2693.

Nabelek, A.K. & Nabelek, I.V. (1994). Room acoustics and speech perception. In: Handbook of Clinical Audiology. Katz, J. (Ed.), Fourth Edition. The Williams and Wilkins Co., Baltimore, MD., pp 624-637.

Nabelek, A.K. & Ovchinnikov, A.(1994). Perception of linear format trajectories in vowels. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 95, 2978(A).

Letowski, T.R. & Nabelek, A.K. (1997). Assessment of frequency selectivity with psychoacoustic masking curves. Archives of Acoustics, 20, 3-12.

Nabelek, A.K., Ovchinnikov, A., Czyzewski, Z., & Crowley, H.J. (1996). Cues for perception of synthetic and natural diphthongs in either noise or reverberation. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 99,1742-1753.

Nabelek, A.K. & Ovchinnikov, A., (1997). Perception of nonlinear and linear formant trajectories. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 101, 488-497.

Buehler, M.R. & Nabelek, A.K. (1998). The effect of F3 on the /U-I/ boundary, Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 103, 3088 (A).

Pursell, S.L., Swanson, L.A.., Hedrick, M.S., & Nabelek, A.K. (2002) Boundary of steady state synthetic vowels [I] and [E] in adults and school-age children. Journal of Phonetics, 30, 131-137.

Rogers, D.S., Harkrider, A.W., Burchfield, S.B., and Nabelek, A.K. (2003). The influence of listener's gender on the acceptance of background noise. Journal of the American Academy of Audiology, 14, 374-385.

Nabelek, A.K., Tampas, J.W., & Burchfield, S.B. (2004). Comparison of speech perception in background noise with acceptance of background noise in aided and unaided conditions. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 47:1001-1011.

Freyaldenhoven MC, Nabelek AK, Burchfield SB, Thelin JW . (2005). Acceptable noise level (ANL) as a measure of directional benefit. Journal of the American Academy of Audiology 16:228-236.

Hedrick, M.S. & Nabelek, A.K. (in press). Effect of F2 intensity on identity of level in degraded listening conditions. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research.

Franklin CA, Thelin JW, Nabelek AK, & Burchfield SB. (in press) The effect of speech presentation level on acceptance of background noise in normal-hearing listeners. Journal of the American Academy of Audiology.

Freyaldenhoven MC, Plyler PN,Thelin JW, Nabelek AK, & Burchfield SB. (in press) The effects of venting and low frequency gain compensation on performance in noise with directional hearing instruments. Journal of the American Academy of Audiology.

Freyaldenhoven MC, Thelin JW, Plyler PN, Nabelek AK, & Burchfield SB. (in press) Effect of stimulant medication on the acceptance of background noise in individuals with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Journal of the American Academy of Audiology.

INVITED ANL PRESENTATIONS

Nabelek AK , Freyaldenhoven MC, Tampas JW, & Burchfield SB. (2005) Acceptable noise level (ANL) as a predictor of hearing aid use. Oral presentation at the 17th Polish Audiological Symposium. (Cetniewo, Poland).

Nabelek, A., Burchfield, S., Tampas, J., & Freyaldenhoven, M. (November, 2004). Relationship between acceptance of background noise and hearing aid use. Oral presentation at the 11 th Annual Sol Adler Memorial Conference. (Knoxville, TN).

Nabelek, A., Burchfield, S., Tampas, J., & Freyaldenhoven, M. (August, 2004). Relationship between acceptance of background noise and hearing aid use. Oral presentation at the International Hearing Aid Research Conference. (Lake Tahoe, CA).

REFEREED ANL PRESENTATIONS

Freyaldenhoven, M., Thelin, J., Plyler, P., Nabelek, A., & Burchfield, S. (April, 2005). Effect of Stimulant Medication on the Acceptance of Noise. Oral presentation at the 17 th Annual American Academy of Audiology Convention (Washington, D.C.)

Freyaldenhoven, M., Plyler, P., Thelin, J., Nabelek, A., & Burchfield, S. (April, 2005). The Effects of Venting and Gain Compensation in Directional Aids. Poster presentation at the 17 th Annual American Academy of Audiology Convention (Washington, D.C.)

Freyaldenhoven, M., Nabelek, A., Burchfield, S., Thelin, J., & Webster J. (April, 2004). Quantification of Directional Microphone Hearing Aid Benefit: Comparison of Acceptable Noise Level, Masked Speech Recognition Threshold, Ear Canal Signal-to-Noise Ratio and Abbreviated Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit. Poster presentation at the 16 th Annual American Academy of Audiology Convention. (Salt Lake City, UT).

Nabelek, A., Burchfield, S., Tampas, J., & Freyaldenhoven, M. (April, 2004). Background noise acceptance and hearing aid use. Poster presentation at the 16 th Annual American Academy of Audiology Convention. (Salt Lake City, UT).

Freyaldenhoven, M., Nabelek, A., Burchfield, S. , Thelin, J., & Webster J. (May, 2003). Quantification of Directional Microphone Hearing Aid Benefit: Comparison of Acceptable Noise Level, Masked Speech Recognition Threshold, Ear Canal Signal-to-Noise Ratio and Abbreviated Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit. Poster presentation at the 145 th Acoustical Society of American Convention. (Nashville, TN).

Nabelek, A., Burchfield, S., Webster, J., & Freyaldenhoven, M. (May, 2003). Relationship between acceptance of background noise and hearing aid use. Poster presentation at the 145 th Acoustical Society of American Convention. (Nashville, TN).

Nabelek, A., Burchfield, S., Webster, J., & Freyaldenhoven, M. (August, 2002). A preliminary report about acceptance of background noise and hearing aid use. Poster presentation at the International Hearing Aid Research Conference (Lake Tahoe, CA).

CONTACT DETAILS

Anna K. Nabelek, Ph.D.
Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology
University of Tennessee
578 South Stadium Hall
Knoxville , TN 37996-0740

Office: (865) 974-1806
Lab:    (865) 974-1787
Fax:    (865) 974-1539