Place pitch discrimination and speech recognition in cochlear implants users

The considerable variability in speech perception performance among cochlear implant patients makes it difficult to compare the effectiveness of different speech processing strategies. One result is that optimal individualized processor parameter setting is not always achieved. This paper investigates the relationship between place pitch discrimination ability and speech perception to establish whether pitch ranking could be used as an aid in better patient-specific fitting of processors. Three subjects participated in this study. Place pitch discrimination ability was measured and this information was used to design new channel to electrode allocations for each subject. Several allocations were evaluated with speech tests with consonant, vowel and sentence material. It is shown that there is correlation between the perceptual pitch distance between electrodes and speech perception performance. The results indicate that pitch ranking ability might be used both as an indicator of the speech perception potential of an implant user and in the choice of better electrode configurations.

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Signal Coding in Cochlear Implants: Exploiting Stochastic Effects of Electrical Stimulation

Annals of Otology Rhinology & Laryngology ◽

10.1177/00034894031120s904 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 112 (9_suppl) ◽

pp. 14-19 ◽

Cited By ~ 50

Author(s):

Jay T. Rubinstein ◽

Robert Hong

Keyword(s):

Electrical Stimulation ◽

Speech Perception ◽

Cochlear Implants ◽

Speech Processing ◽

Music Perception ◽

Dynamic Range ◽

High Rate ◽

Monosyllabic Word ◽

Stochastic Effects ◽

Processing Strategies

Speech perception in quiet with cochlear implants has increased substantially over the past 17 years. If current trends continue, average monosyllabic word scores will be nearly 80% by 2010. These improvements are due to enhancements in speech processing strategies, to the implantation of patients with more residual hearing and shorter durations of deafness, and to unknown causes. Despite these improvements, speech perception in noise and music perception are still poor in most implant patients. These deficits may be partly due to poor representation of temporal fine structure by current speech processing strategies. It may be possible to improve both this representation and the dynamic range of electrical stimulation through the exploitation of stochastic effects produced by high-rate (eg, 5-kilopulse-per-second) pulse trains. Both the loudness growth and the dynamic range of low-frequency sinusoids have been enhanced via this technique. A laboratory speech processor using this strategy is under development. Although the clinical programming for such an algorithm is likely to be complex, some guidelines for the psychophysical and electrophysiological techniques necessary can be described now.

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Within-Subjects Comparison of the HiRes and Fidelity120 Speech Processing Strategies: Speech Perception and Its Relation to Place-Pitch Sensitivity

Ear and Hearing ◽

10.1097/aud.0b013e3181fb8390 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 32 (2) ◽

pp. 238-250 ◽

Cited By ~ 28

Author(s):

Gail S. Donaldson ◽

Patricia K. Dawson ◽

Lamar Z. Borden

Keyword(s):

Speech Perception ◽

Speech Processing ◽

Processing Strategies ◽

Within Subjects ◽

Place Pitch

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The Relationship between Thresholds of Electrically Evoked Compound Action Potential and Speech Perception in Children with Cochlear Implants

Korean Journal of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery ◽

10.3342/kjorl-hns.2011.54.10.688 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 54 (10) ◽

pp. 688

Author(s):

Jae-Ryong Kim ◽

Bong-Sik Shin ◽

Sung-Wook Jeong ◽

Jihwan Woo ◽

Lee-Suk Kim

Keyword(s):

Speech Perception ◽

Action Potential ◽

Cochlear Implants ◽

Compound Action Potential ◽

Evoked Compound Action Potential ◽

The Relationship ◽

Compound Action

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An Introduction to Cochlear Implant Technology, Activation, and Programming

Language Speech and Hearing Services in Schools ◽

10.1044/0161-1461(2002/013) ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 33 (3) ◽

pp. 153-161 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Jan A. Moore ◽

Holly F. B. Teagle

Keyword(s):

Hearing Loss ◽

Cochlear Implant ◽

Cochlear Implants ◽

Speech Processing ◽

Academic Development ◽

School Age Children ◽

School Age ◽

Technology In The Classroom ◽

Processing Strategies ◽

Cochlear Implant Surgery

Over the last decade, cochlear implantation has become an increasingly viable alternative for the treatment of profound sensorineural hearing loss in children. Although speech and hearing professionals play an important role in the communicative, social, and academic development of children with cochlear implants, many may be unfamiliar with recent advances in implant technology. This article provides an overview of the components of cochlear implant systems and the speech processing strategies that are currently being used by toddlers, preschoolers, and school-age children. A brief description of cochlear implant surgery and the procedures for programming these devices are also included. Finally, information regarding the use of assistive listening technology in the classroom is presented.

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An Attempt to Improve Bilateral Cochlear Implants by Increasing the Distance between Electrodes and Providing Complementary Information to the Two Ears

Journal of the American Academy of Audiology ◽

10.3766/jaaa.21.1.7 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 21 (01) ◽

pp. 052-065 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Richard S. Tyler ◽

Shelley A. Witt ◽

Camille C. Dunn ◽

Ann Perreau ◽

Aaron J. Parkinson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Speech Perception ◽

Cochlear Implant ◽

Cochlear Implants ◽

Speech Processing ◽

Processing Strategy ◽

Bilateral Cochlear Implants ◽

Channel Interaction ◽

Consonant Recognition ◽

Bilateral Cochlear Implant ◽

Input Spectrum

Objectives: The purpose of this investigation was to determine if adult bilateral cochlear implant recipients could benefit from using a speech processing strategy in which the input spectrum was interleaved among electrodes across the two implants. Design: Two separate experiments were conducted. In both experiments, subjects were tested using a control speech processing strategy and a strategy in which the full input spectrum was filtered so that only the output of half of the filters was audible to one implant, while the output of the alternative filters was audible to the other implant. The filters were interleaved in a way that created alternate frequency “holes” between the two cochlear implants. Results: In experiment one, four subjects were tested on consonant recognition. Results indicated that one of the four subjects performed better with the interleaved strategy, one subject received a binaural advantage with the interleaved strategy that they did not receive with the control strategy, and two subjects showed no decrement in performance when using the interleaved strategy. In the second experiment, 11 subjects were tested on word recognition, sentences in noise, and localization (it should be noted that not all subjects participated in all tests). Results showed that for speech perception testing one subject achieved significantly better scores with the interleaved strategy on all tests, and seven subjects showed a significant improvement with the interleaved strategy on at least one test. Only one subject showed a decrement in performance on all speech perception tests with the interleaved strategy. Out of nine subjects, one subject preferred the sound quality of the interleaved strategy. No one performed better on localization with the interleaved strategy. Conclusion: Data from this study indicate that some adult bilateral cochlear implant recipients can benefit from using a speech processing strategy in which the input spectrum is interleaved among electrodes across the two implants. It is possible that the subjects in this study who showed a significant improvement with the interleaved strategy did so because of less channel interaction; however, this hypothesis was not directly tested.

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