scholarly journals Electro-haptic hearing: Speech-in-noise performance in cochlear implant users is enhanced by tactile stimulation of the wrists

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark D. Fletcher ◽  
Amatullah Hadeedi ◽  
Tobias Goehring ◽  
Sean R Mills
Keyword(s):  
Cochlear Implant ◽  
Speech Intelligibility ◽  
Tactile Stimulation ◽  
Electrical Signal ◽  
Noise Performance ◽  
Speech In Noise ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Real World Application ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Stimulation Of

Cochlear implant (CI) users receive only limited sound information through their implant, which means that they struggle to understand speech in noisy environments. Recent work has suggested that combining the electrical signal from the CI with a haptic signal that provides crucial missing sound information (“electro-haptic stimulation”; EHS) could improve speech-in-noise performance. The aim of the current study was to test whether EHS could enhance speech-in-noise performance in CI users using: (1) a tactile signal derived using an algorithm that could be applied in real time, (2) a stimulation site appropriate for a real-world application, and (3) a tactile signal that could readily be produced by a compact, portable device. We measured speech intelligibility in multi-talker noise with and without vibro-tactile stimulation of the wrist in CI users, before and after a short training regime. No effect of EHS was found before training, but after training EHS was found to improve the number of words correctly identified by an average of 8.3 %-points, with some users improving by more than 20 %-points. Our approach could offer an inexpensive and non-invasive means of improving speech-in-noise performance in CI users.

Evaluation of Automatic Directional Processing with Cochlear Implant Recipients

2021 ◽  
Vol 32 (08) ◽  
pp. 478-486
Author(s):  
Lisa G. Potts ◽  
Soo Jang ◽  
Cory L. Hillis
Keyword(s):  
Signal Processing ◽  
Speech Recognition ◽  
Cochlear Implant ◽  
Mixed Model ◽  
Dynamic Range ◽  
Individual Variability ◽  
Noise Performance ◽  
Mixed Model Analysis ◽  
Speech In Noise ◽  
Speech Recognition In Noise

Abstract Background For cochlear implant (CI) recipients, speech recognition in noise is consistently poorer compared with recognition in quiet. Directional processing improves performance in noise and can be automatically activated based on acoustic scene analysis. The use of adaptive directionality with CI recipients is new and has not been investigated thoroughly, especially utilizing the recipients' preferred everyday signal processing, dynamic range, and/or noise reduction. Purpose This study utilized CI recipients' preferred everyday signal processing to evaluate four directional microphone options in a noisy environment to determine which option provides the best speech recognition in noise. A greater understanding of automatic directionality could ultimately improve CI recipients' speech-in-noise performance and better guide clinicians in programming. Study Sample Twenty-six unilateral and seven bilateral CI recipients with a mean age of 66 years and approximately 4 years of CI experience were included. Data Collection and Analysis Speech-in-noise performance was measured using eight loudspeakers in a 360-degree array with HINT sentences presented in restaurant noise. Four directional options were evaluated (automatic [SCAN], adaptive [Beam], fixed [Zoom], and Omni-directional) with participants' everyday use signal processing options active. A mixed-model analysis of variance (ANOVA) and pairwise comparisons were performed. Results Automatic directionality (SCAN) resulted in the best speech-in-noise performance, although not significantly better than Beam. Omni-directional performance was significantly poorer compared with the three other directional options. A varied number of participants performed their best with each of the four-directional options, with 16 performing best with automatic directionality. The majority of participants did not perform best with their everyday directional option. Conclusion The individual variability seen in this study suggests that CI recipients try with different directional options to find their ideal program. However, based on a CI recipient's motivation to try different programs, automatic directionality is an appropriate everyday processing option.

scholarly journals Spatial Speech-in-Noise Performance in Bimodal and Single-Sided Deaf Cochlear Implant Users

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 ◽  
pp. 233121651985831 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ben Williges ◽  
Thomas Wesarg ◽  
Lorenz Jung ◽  
Leontien I. Geven ◽  
Andreas Radeloff ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cochlear Implant ◽  
Normal Hearing ◽  
Head Movements ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Noise Performance ◽  
Speech In Noise ◽  
Speech Reception ◽  
Patient Groups ◽  
Speech Reception Thresholds ◽  
Binaural Listening

This study compared spatial speech-in-noise performance in two cochlear implant (CI) patient groups: bimodal listeners, who use a hearing aid contralaterally to support their impaired acoustic hearing, and listeners with contralateral normal hearing, i.e., who were single-sided deaf before implantation. Using a laboratory setting that controls for head movements and that simulates spatial acoustic scenes, speech reception thresholds were measured for frontal speech-in-stationary noise from the front, the left, or the right side. Spatial release from masking (SRM) was then extracted from speech reception thresholds for monaural and binaural listening. SRM was found to be significantly lower in bimodal CI than in CI single-sided deaf listeners. Within each listener group, the SRM extracted from monaural listening did not differ from the SRM extracted from binaural listening. In contrast, a normal-hearing control group showed a significant improvement in SRM when using two ears in comparison to one. Neither CI group showed a binaural summation effect; that is, their performance was not improved by using two devices instead of the best monaural device in each spatial scenario. The results confirm a “listening with the better ear” strategy in the two CI patient groups, where patients benefited from using two ears/devices instead of one by selectively attending to the better one. Which one is the better ear, however, depends on the spatial scenario and on the individual configuration of hearing loss.

scholarly journals Electro-haptic enhancement of speech-in-noise performance in cochlear implant users

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark D. Fletcher ◽  
Amatullah Hadeedi ◽  
Tobias Goehring ◽  
Sean R. Mills
Keyword(s):  
Cochlear Implant ◽  
Noise Performance ◽  
Speech In Noise

scholarly journals The Effects of Training on Music Perception and Appreciation for Cochlear Implant Recipients

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valerie Looi ◽  
Yuhan Wong ◽  
Jenny H. Y. Loo
Keyword(s):  
Cochlear Implant ◽  
Music Perception ◽  
Control Period ◽  
Music Appreciation ◽  
Music Listening ◽  
Speech In Noise ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Instrument Identification ◽  
Quality Rating ◽  
Better Than

The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of a music appreciation training program (MATP) to that of focused music listening (FML) for improving music and/or speech in noise perception for postlingually deafened cochlear implant (CI) recipients. It was hypothesized that the MATP would show greater improvements than FML. Ten CI recipients were randomly divided into two groups: one undertaking the MATP and the other undertaking FML. Participants completed four 30-minute sessions per week for 8 weeks, with tests of music and speech-in-noise perception being administered four times per participant: before and after a control period, immediately after the intervention, and 4–8 weeks after intervention. There was a significant pre- to posttraining difference for the MATP group on the instrument identification test, as well as for half of the quality rating assessments. Although no statistically significant improvements were obtained for the FML group, there was a trend of higher scores postintervention for the instrument and ensemble identification tests, and compliance was substantially better than for the MATP group. While the results showed that only the music training significantly improved music perception, the potential of FML to benefit some CI recipients for some tasks was also observed.

Touch sensitivity in oligochaete giant fibers is transiently enhanced by a single spike

1996 ◽  
Vol 74 (5) ◽  
pp. 841-844
Author(s):  
David E. Turnbull ◽  
Charles D. Drewes
Keyword(s):  
Tactile Stimulation ◽  
Lumbriculus Variegatus ◽  
Giant Fiber ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Touch Sensitivity ◽  
Single Spike ◽  
Weak Stimulus ◽  
Site Of Stimulation ◽  
Stimulation Of ◽  
Touch Stimulus

Weak tactile stimulation of posterior segments in the freshwater oligochaete Lumbriculus variegatus evokes a single lateral giant fiber (LGF) spike but no overt escape shortening. After initiation of a single spike, giant-fiber excitability is increased, as reflected by a period of enhanced conduction velocity for a second LGF spike that follows 5–50 ms after the first. Using non-invasive recordings from intact worms and a biofeedback arrangement for stimulus delivery, it was shown that the period of enhanced velocity is associated with a marked increase in sensitivity to a second touch stimulus. Enhanced touch sensitivity is distributed within the LGF sensory field to loci remote from the original site of stimulation, leading to an increased likelihood that a second, weak stimulus will elicit rapid escape withdrawal.

scholarly journals Relationship between Speech Perception in Noise and Phonemic Restoration of Speech in Noise in Individuals with Normal Hearing

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 167-173
Author(s):  
Srikar Vijayasarathy ◽  
Animesh Barman
Keyword(s):  
Speech Perception ◽  
Speech Intelligibility ◽  
Individual Variability ◽  
Large Individual ◽  
Noise Performance ◽  
Top Down ◽  
Speech Perception In Noise ◽  
Phonemic Restoration ◽  
Speech In Noise ◽  
Interrupted Speech

Background and Objectives: Top-down restoration of distorted speech, tapped as phonemic restoration of speech in noise, maybe a useful tool to understand robustness of perception in adverse listening situations. However, the relationship between phonemic restoration and speech perception in noise is not empirically clear.Subjects and Methods: 20 adults (40-55 years) with normal audiometric findings were part of the study. Sentence perception in noise performance was studied with various signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) to estimate the SNR with 50% score. Performance was also measured for sentences interrupted with silence and for those interrupted by speech noise at -10, -5, 0, and 5 dB SNRs. The performance score in the noise interruption condition was subtracted by quiet interruption condition to determine the phonemic restoration magnitude.Results: Fairly robust improvements in speech intelligibility was found when the sentences were interrupted with speech noise instead of silence. Improvement with increasing noise levels was non-monotonic and reached a maximum at -10 dB SNR. Significant correlation between speech perception in noise performance and phonemic restoration of sentences interrupted with -10 dB SNR speech noise was found.Conclusions: It is possible that perception of speech in noise is associated with top-down processing of speech, tapped as phonemic restoration of interrupted speech. More research with a larger sample size is indicated since the restoration is affected by the type of speech material and noise used, age, working memory, and linguistic proficiency, and has a large individual variability.

The influence of danazol on angiogenesis in endometriosis woman

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 45-53
Author(s):  
Maria Szubert ◽  
Jacek Suzin ◽  
Markus Duechler ◽  
Agata Szuławska ◽  
Małgorzata Czyż ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Analogue Scale ◽  
Case Control Study ◽  
Case Control ◽  
Ca 125 ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Invasive Test ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Given ◽  
Control Study ◽  
Stimulation Of

<b>Background</b>: Angiogenesis and inflammation are pivotal processes in developing endometriosis in the peritoneal cavity. The aim of the study was to evaluate these two processes in women with endometriosis and treated with danazol. The second object of the study was to determine the sensitivity of a non-invasive test combined of studied biomarkers in diagnosing endometriosis.<b> Methods>/b>: The case control study was conducted in a group of 103 women diagnosed laparoscopically for endometriosis. 35 patients were qualified to the treatment with danazol. Pain assessment was in Visual Analogue Scale. Endometriosis was assessed with rASRM scale. In serum Ca-125, CRP, VEGF and IL-1β were determined before and after danazol treatment. IL-8 expression in the endometrium was determined before treatment. <b>Results</b>: Endometriosis group (68.9% of patients) demonstrated a higher concentration of Ca-125 in serum and higher levels of both Ca125 and VEGF in the peritoneal fluid. The expression of mRNA for IL-8 in the endometrium was significantly higher in the study group. After treatment with danazol a lower VAS score and a lower level of Ca-125 (p<0.001) was observed. The concentration of VEGF in plasma increased (p=0.009). For the diagnosis of endometriosis, no combination of the given markers reached a sensitivity higher than 60%. <b>Conclusions</b>: Treatment with danazol is highly effective in relieving pain and decreasing the concentration of Ca-125. A higher level of VEGF in plasma after treatment might imply stimulation of angiogenesis.

scholarly journals Electric and acoustic harmonic integration predicts speech-in-noise performance in hybrid cochlear implant users

2018 ◽  
Vol 367 ◽  
pp. 223-230 ◽  
Author(s):  
Damien Bonnard ◽  
Adam Schwalje ◽  
Bruce Gantz ◽  
Inyong Choi
Keyword(s):  
Cochlear Implant ◽  
Noise Performance ◽  
Speech In Noise
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