Optimizing Cochlear Implant Speech Performance

Results of studies performed in our laboratory suggest that cochlear implant recipients understand speech best if the following speech processor parameters are individually chosen for each person: minimum and maximum stimulation levels on each electrode in the speech processor program (MAP), stimulation rate, and speech coding strategy. If these and related parameters are chosen to make soft sounds (from approximately 100 to 6,000 Hz) audible at as close to 20 dB hearing level as possible and loud sounds not too loud, recipients have the opportunity to hear speech in everyday life situations that are of key importance to children who are learning language and to all recipients in terms of ease of communication.

Download Full-text

Effect of Speech Processor Program Modifications on Cochlear Implant Recipients’ Threshold and Maximum Acceptable Loudness Levels

American Journal of Audiology ◽

10.1044/1059-0889(1999/015) ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 8 (2) ◽

pp. 128-136 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

John C. Sun ◽

Margarate W. Skinner ◽

S. Y. Liu ◽

T. S. Huang

Keyword(s):

Electrical Stimulation ◽

Cochlear Implant ◽

Everyday Life ◽

Dynamic Range ◽

Active Electrode ◽

Speech Processor ◽

Significant Change ◽

Upper Boundary

This study’s purpose was to determine whether or not modifications in speech processor electrical stimulation levels were associated with changes in five Nucleus 22 cochlear implant recipients’ thresholds or maximum acceptable loudness levels (MALs). These modifications in minimum and maximum stimulation levels were made to optimize hearing in everyday life. One threshold and one MAL were obtained on each active electrode during six, weekly test sessions, three before and three after program modification. Only one participant had a significant change in threshold after program modification; this participant and four others had significant changes in MAL. Participants’ threshold variability was the same, but MAL variability was higher than that observed in other studies. Because these participants had no experience making MAL judgments prior to this study, this result suggests that implant recipients should be given sufficient practice in making MAL judgments to provide a stable clinical estimate of the upper boundary of the electrical dynamic range.

Download Full-text

Effects of Stimulation Rate with the Nucleus 24 ACE Speech Coding Strategy

Ear and Hearing ◽

10.1097/00003446-200210000-00008 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 23 (5) ◽

pp. 463-476 ◽

Cited By ~ 62

Author(s):

Laura K. Holden ◽

Margaret W. Skinner ◽

Timothy A. Holden ◽

Marilyn E. Demorest

Keyword(s):

Speech Coding ◽

Stimulation Rate ◽

Coding Strategy ◽

Nucleus 24

Download Full-text

Comparison of speech recognition results for a one‐ and two‐formant speech coding strategy for a multichannel cochlear implant

The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America ◽

10.1121/1.2026304 ◽

1988 ◽

Vol 84 (S1) ◽

pp. S40-S40

Author(s):

Judith A. Brimacombe ◽

Anne L. Beiter ◽

Mary J. Barker ◽

Karen A. Mikami ◽

Steven J. Staller

Keyword(s):

Speech Recognition ◽

Cochlear Implant ◽

Speech Coding ◽

Coding Strategy

Download Full-text

1-year results using the Opus speech processor with the fine structure speech coding strategy

Acta Oto-Laryngologica ◽

10.1080/00016480802552485 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 129 (9) ◽

pp. 988-991 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Dominik Riss ◽

Christoph Arnoldner ◽

Sonja Reiß ◽

Wolf-Dieter Baumgartner ◽

Jafar-Sasan Hamzavi

Keyword(s):

Fine Structure ◽

Speech Coding ◽

Speech Processor ◽

Coding Strategy

Download Full-text

Asynchronous Interleaved Stimulation (AIS): A New Speech Coding Strategy for Cochlear Implant

Acta Oto-Laryngologica ◽

10.3109/00016489709117765 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 117 (2) ◽

pp. 182-186 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Michel Ouayoun ◽

Vincent Péan ◽

Jacques Génin ◽

GwenaËL Bachelot ◽

Claude Fugain ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cochlear Implant ◽

Speech Coding ◽

Coding Strategy

Download Full-text

Optimized Speech Understanding with the Continuous Interleaved Sampling Speech Coding Strategy in Patients with Cochlear Implants: Effect of Variations in Stimulation Rate and Number of Channels

Annals of Otology Rhinology & Laryngology ◽

10.1177/000348940010901105 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 109 (11) ◽

pp. 1009-1020 ◽

Cited By ~ 50

Author(s):

Jan Kiefer ◽

Christoph von Ilberg ◽

Jutta Hubner-Egner ◽

Vittoria Rupprecht ◽

Rainald Knecht

Keyword(s):

Cochlear Implants ◽

Speech Coding ◽

Speech Understanding ◽

Stimulation Rate ◽

Coding Strategy

Download Full-text

Self-Reported Listening Habits and Enjoyment of Music among Adult Cochlear Implant Recipients

Annals of Otology Rhinology & Laryngology ◽

10.1177/000348940911800506 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 118 (5) ◽

pp. 350-355 ◽

Cited By ~ 35

Author(s):

Lela Migirov ◽

Jona Kronenberg ◽

Yael Henkin

Keyword(s):

Speech Perception ◽

Cochlear Implant ◽

Cochlear Implantation ◽

Speech Coding ◽

Musical Instrument ◽

Open Set ◽

Coding Strategy ◽

Listening Habits ◽

Musical Activities

Objectives: We sought to assess the associations between self-reported listening habits and enjoyment of music, and the following variables: Age at implantation, gender, prelingual versus postlingual deafness, duration of deafness, duration of cochlear implant (CI) use, type of CI, speech coding strategy, and speech perception abilities. Methods: A questionnaire on listening habits and enjoyment of music before the onset of deafness and after implantation was sent to 85 adult CI recipients who had been using the devices for at least 6 months. Results: Of the 53 responders, 39 (73.6%) listened to music after implantation. Listening to music was not significantly related to age at implantation, gender, duration of deafness, duration of CI use, type of CI device, speech coding strategy, or open-set speech perception abilities. The 14 nonlisteners were postlingually deafened. The ratings of enjoyment were the same for 22.6% of patients, improved for 26.4%, and worse for 50.9%. Only 2 of 13 patients who played a musical instrument and 14 of 24 patients who sang before the onset of deafness resumed their musical activities. Conclusions: Despite the decline in listening habits and in the enjoyment of music after cochlear implantation, most patients do listen to music. The changes in listening habits and enjoyment were not related to the selected background variables.

Download Full-text

Effect of Frequency Boundary Assignment on Vowel Recognition with the Nucleus 24 ACE Speech Coding Strategy

Journal of the American Academy of Audiology ◽

10.3766/jaaa.15.4.3 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 15 (04) ◽

pp. 281-299 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Marios S. Fourakis ◽

John W. Hawks ◽

Laura K. Holden ◽

Margaret W. Skinner ◽

Timothy A. Holden

Keyword(s):

Everyday Life ◽

Feature Analysis ◽

Discrimination Test ◽

Closed Set ◽

Speech Processor ◽

Vowel Formant ◽

Coding Strategy ◽

Vowel Recognition ◽

Nucleus 24 ◽

Typical Frequency

Two speech processor programs (MAPs) differing only in electrode frequency boundary assignments were created for each of eight Nucleus 24 Cochlear Implant recipients. The default MAPs used typical frequency boundaries, and the experimental MAPs reassigned one additional electrode to vowel formant regions. Four objective speech tests and a questionnaire were used to evaluate speech recognition with the two MAPs.Results for the closed-set vowel test and the formant discrimination test showed small but significant improvement in scores with the experimental MAP. Differences for the Consonant-Vowel Nucleus-Consonant word test and closed-set consonant test were nonsignificant. Feature analysis revealed no significant differences in information transmission. Seven of the eight subjects preferred the experimental MAP, reporting louder, crisper, and clearer sound.The results suggest that Nucleus 24 recipients should be given an opportunity to compare a MAP that assigns more electrodes in vowel formant regions with the default MAP to determine which provides the most benefit in everyday life.

Download Full-text