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Choi I, Gander PE, Berger JI, Woo J, Choy MH, Hong J, Colby S, McMurray B, Griffiths TD. Spectral Grouping of Electrically Encoded Sound Predicts Speech-in-Noise Performance in Cochlear Implantees. J Assoc Res Otolaryngol 2023; 24:607-617. [PMID: 38062284 PMCID: PMC10752853 DOI: 10.1007/s10162-023-00918-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Cochlear implant (CI) users exhibit large variability in understanding speech in noise. Past work in CI users found that spectral and temporal resolution correlates with speech-in-noise ability, but a large portion of variance remains unexplained. Recent work on normal-hearing listeners showed that the ability to group temporally and spectrally coherent tones in a complex auditory scene predicts speech-in-noise ability independently of the audiogram, highlighting a central mechanism for auditory scene analysis that contributes to speech-in-noise. The current study examined whether the auditory grouping ability also contributes to speech-in-noise understanding in CI users. DESIGN Forty-seven post-lingually deafened CI users were tested with psychophysical measures of spectral and temporal resolution, a stochastic figure-ground task that depends on the detection of a figure by grouping multiple fixed frequency elements against a random background, and a sentence-in-noise measure. Multiple linear regression was used to predict sentence-in-noise performance from the other tasks. RESULTS No co-linearity was found between any predictor variables. All three predictors (spectral and temporal resolution plus the figure-ground task) exhibited significant contribution in the multiple linear regression model, indicating that the auditory grouping ability in a complex auditory scene explains a further proportion of variance in CI users' speech-in-noise performance that was not explained by spectral and temporal resolution. CONCLUSION Measures of cross-frequency grouping reflect an auditory cognitive mechanism that determines speech-in-noise understanding independently of cochlear function. Such measures are easily implemented clinically as predictors of CI success and suggest potential strategies for rehabilitation based on training with non-speech stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inyong Choi
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Iowa, 250 Hawkins Dr., Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA.
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA.
| | - Phillip E Gander
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
- Department of Radiology, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | - Joel I Berger
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | - Jihwan Woo
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Ulsan, Ulsan, Republic of Korea
| | - Matthew H Choy
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Jean Hong
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | - Sarah Colby
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | - Bob McMurray
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Iowa, 250 Hawkins Dr., Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | - Timothy D Griffiths
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK
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Seeberg AB, Haumann NT, Højlund A, Andersen ASF, Faulkner KF, Brattico E, Vuust P, Petersen B. Adapting to the Sound of Music - Development of Music Discrimination Skills in Recently Implanted CI Users. Trends Hear 2023; 27:23312165221148035. [PMID: 36597692 PMCID: PMC9830578 DOI: 10.1177/23312165221148035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Cochlear implants (CIs) are optimized for speech perception but poor in conveying musical sound features such as pitch, melody, and timbre. Here, we investigated the early development of discrimination of musical sound features after cochlear implantation. Nine recently implanted CI users (CIre) were tested shortly after switch-on (T1) and approximately 3 months later (T2), using a musical multifeature mismatch negativity (MMN) paradigm, presenting four deviant features (intensity, pitch, timbre, and rhythm), and a three-alternative forced-choice behavioral test. For reference, groups of experienced CI users (CIex; n = 13) and normally hearing (NH) controls (n = 14) underwent the same tests once. We found significant improvement in CIre's neural discrimination of pitch and timbre as marked by increased MMN amplitudes. This was not reflected in the behavioral results. Behaviorally, CIre scored well above chance level at both time points for all features except intensity, but significantly below NH controls for all features except rhythm. Both CI groups scored significantly below NH in behavioral pitch discrimination. No significant difference was found in MMN amplitude between CIex and NH. The results indicate that development of musical discrimination can be detected neurophysiologically early after switch-on. However, to fully take advantage of the sparse information from the implant, a prolonged adaptation period may be required. Behavioral discrimination accuracy was notably high already shortly after implant switch-on, although well below that of NH listeners. This study provides new insight into the early development of music-discrimination abilities in CI users and may have clinical and therapeutic relevance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberte B. Seeberg
- Center for Music in the Brain, Department of Clinical Medicine, Center for Music in the Brain, Aarhus University & The Royal Academy of Music Aarhus/Aalborg, Aarhus, Denmark,Alberte B. Seeberg, Center for Music in the Brain, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University and The Royal Academy of Music Aarhus/Aalborg, Aarhus, Denmark.
| | - Niels T. Haumann
- Center for Music in the Brain, Department of Clinical Medicine, Center for Music in the Brain, Aarhus University & The Royal Academy of Music Aarhus/Aalborg, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Andreas Højlund
- Center of Functionally Integrative Neuroscience, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark,Department of Linguistics, Cognitive Science and Semiotics, Aarhus University, Denmark
| | - Anne S. F. Andersen
- Center for Music in the Brain, Department of Clinical Medicine, Center for Music in the Brain, Aarhus University & The Royal Academy of Music Aarhus/Aalborg, Aarhus, Denmark
| | | | - Elvira Brattico
- Center for Music in the Brain, Department of Clinical Medicine, Center for Music in the Brain, Aarhus University & The Royal Academy of Music Aarhus/Aalborg, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Peter Vuust
- Center for Music in the Brain, Department of Clinical Medicine, Center for Music in the Brain, Aarhus University & The Royal Academy of Music Aarhus/Aalborg, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Bjørn Petersen
- Center for Music in the Brain, Department of Clinical Medicine, Center for Music in the Brain, Aarhus University & The Royal Academy of Music Aarhus/Aalborg, Aarhus, Denmark
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Noble AR, Resnick J, Broncheau M, Klotz S, Rubinstein JT, Werner LA, Horn DL. Spectrotemporal Modulation Discrimination in Infants With Normal Hearing. Ear Hear 2023; 44:109-117. [PMID: 36218270 PMCID: PMC9780152 DOI: 10.1097/aud.0000000000001277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Spectral resolution correlates with speech understanding in post-lingually deafened adults with cochlear implants (CIs) and is proposed as a non-linguistic measure of device efficacy in implanted infants. However, spectral resolution develops gradually through adolescence regardless of hearing status. Spectral resolution relies on two different factors that mature at markedly different rates: Resolution of ripple peaks (frequency resolution) matures during infancy whereas sensitivity to across-spectrum intensity modulation (spectral modulation sensitivity) matures by age 12. Investigation of spectral resolution as a clinical measure for implanted infants requires understanding how each factor develops and constrains speech understanding with a CI. This study addresses the limitations of the present literature. First, the paucity of relevant data requires replication and generalization across measures of spectral resolution. Second, criticism that previously used measures of spectral resolution may reflect non-spectral cues needs to be addressed. Third, rigorous behavioral measurement of spectral resolution in individual infants is limited by attrition. To address these limitations, we measured discrimination of spectrally modulated, or rippled, sounds at two modulation depths in normal hearing (NH) infants and adults. Non-spectral cues were limited by constructing stimuli with spectral envelopes that change in phase across time. Pilot testing suggested that dynamic spectral envelope stimuli appeared to hold infants' attention and lengthen habituation time relative to previously used static ripple stimuli. A post-hoc condition was added to ensure that the stimulus noise carrier was not obscuring age differences in spectral resolution. The degree of improvement in discrimination at higher ripple depth represents spectral frequency resolution independent of the overall threshold. It was hypothesized that adults would have better thresholds than infants but both groups would show similar effects of modulation depth. DESIGN Participants were 53 6- to 7-month-old infants and 23 adults with NH with no risk factors for hearing loss who passed bilateral otoacoustic emissions screening. Stimuli were created from complexes with 33- or 100-tones per octave, amplitude-modulated across frequency and time with constant 5 Hz envelope phase-drift and spectral ripple density from 1 to 20 ripples per octave (RPO). An observer-based, single-interval procedure measured the highest RPO (1 to 19) a listener could discriminate from a 20 RPO stimulus. Age-group and stimulus pure-tone complex were between-subjects variables whereas modulation depth (10 or 20 dB) was within-subjects. Linear-mixed model analysis was used to test for the significance of the main effects and interactions. RESULTS All adults and 94% of infants provided ripple density thresholds at both modulation depths. The upper range of threshold approached 17 RPO with the 100-tones/octave carrier and 20 dB depth condition. As expected, mean threshold was significantly better with the 100-tones/octave compared with the 33-tones/octave complex, better in adults than in infants, and better at 20 dB than 10 dB modulation depth. None of the interactions reached significance, suggesting that the effect of modulation depth on the threshold was not different for infants or adults. CONCLUSIONS Spectral ripple discrimination can be measured in infants with minimal listener attrition using dynamic ripple stimuli. Results are consistent with previous findings that spectral resolution is immature in infancy due to immature spectral modulation sensitivity rather than frequency resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anisha R. Noble
- Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
| | - Jesse Resnick
- Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
| | - Mariette Broncheau
- Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
| | - Stephanie Klotz
- Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
| | - Jay T. Rubinstein
- Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
| | - Lynne A. Werner
- Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
- Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
| | - David L. Horn
- Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
- Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
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Application of Signals with Rippled Spectra as a Training Approach for Speech Intelligibility Improvements in Cochlear Implant Users. J Pers Med 2022; 12:jpm12091426. [PMID: 36143210 PMCID: PMC9503413 DOI: 10.3390/jpm12091426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2022] [Revised: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
In cochlear implant (CI) users, the discrimination of sound signals with rippled spectra correlates with speech discrimination. We suggest that rippled-spectrum signals could be a basis for training CI users to improve speech intelligibility. Fifteen CI users participated in the study. Ten of them used the software for training (the experimental group), and five did not (the control group). Software based on the phase reversal discrimination of rippled spectra was used. The experimental group was also tested for speech discrimination using phonetic material based on polysyllabic balanced speech material. An improvement in the discrimination of the rippled spectrum was observed in all CI users from the experimental group. There was no significant improvement in the control group. The result of the speech discrimination test showed that the percentage of recognized words increased after training in nine out of ten CI users. For five CI users who participated in the training program, the data on word recognition were also obtained earlier (at least eight months before training). The increase in the percentage of recognized words was greater after training compared to the period before training. The results allow the suggestion that sound signals with rippled spectra could be used not only for testing rehabilitation results after CI but also for training CI users to discriminate sounds with complex spectra.
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Winn MB, O'Brien G. Distortion of Spectral Ripples Through Cochlear Implants Has Major Implications for Interpreting Performance Scores. Ear Hear 2021; 43:764-772. [PMID: 34966157 PMCID: PMC9010354 DOI: 10.1097/aud.0000000000001162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The spectral ripple discrimination task is a psychophysical measure that has been found to correlate with speech recognition in listeners with cochlear implants (CIs). However, at ripple densities above a critical value (around 2 RPO, but device-specific), the sparse spectral sampling of CI processors results in stimulus distortions resulting in aliasing and unintended changes in modulation depth. As a result, spectral ripple thresholds above a certain number are not ordered monotonically along the RPO dimension and thus cannot be considered better or worse spectral resolution than each other, thus undermining correlation measurements. These stimulus distortions are not remediated by changing stimulus phase, indicating these issues cannot be solved by spectrotemporally modulated stimuli. Speech generally has very low-density spectral modulations, leading to questions about the mechanism of correlation between high ripple thresholds and speech recognition. Existing data showing correlations between ripple discrimination and speech recognition include many observations above the aliasing limit. These scores should be treated with caution, and experimenters could benefit by prospectively considering the limitations of the spectral ripple test.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew B Winn
- Department of Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minnesota, USA School of Information, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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Davidson LS, Geers AE, Uchanski RM. Spectral Modulation Detection Performance and Speech Perception in Pediatric Cochlear Implant Recipients. Am J Audiol 2021; 30:1076-1087. [PMID: 34670098 DOI: 10.1044/2021_aja-21-00076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE The aims of this study were, for pediatric cochlear implant (CI) recipients, (a) to determine the effect of age on their spectral modulation detection (SMD) ability and compare their age effect to that of their typically hearing (TH) peers; (b) to identify demographic, cognitive, and audiological factors associated with SMD ability; and (c) to determine the unique contribution of SMD ability to segmental and suprasegmental speech perception performance. METHOD A total of 104 pediatric CI recipients and 38 TH peers (ages 6-11 years) completed a test of SMD. CI recipients completed tests of segmental (e.g., word recognition in noise and vowels and consonants in quiet) and suprasegmental (e.g., talker discrimination, stress discrimination, and emotion identification) perception, nonverbal intelligence, and working memory. Regressions analyses were used to examine the effects of group and age on percent-correct SMD scores. For the CI group, the effects of demographic, audiological, and cognitive variables on SMD performance and the effects of SMD on speech perception were examined. RESULTS The TH group performed significantly better than the CI group on SMD. Both groups showed better performance with increasing age. Significant predictors of SMD performance for the CI group were age and nonverbal intelligence. SMD performance predicted significant variance in segmental and suprasegmental perception. The variance predicted by SMD performance was nearly double for suprasegmental than for segmental perception. CONCLUSIONS Children in the CI group, on average, scored lower than their TH peers. The slopes of improvement in SMD with age did not differ between the groups. The significant effect of nonverbal intelligence on SMD performance in CI recipients indicates that difficulties inherent in the task affect outcomes. SMD ability predicted speech perception scores, with a more prominent role in suprasegmental than in segmental speech perception. SMD ability may provide a useful nonlinguistic tool for predicting speech perception benefit, with cautious interpretation based on age and cognitive function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa S. Davidson
- Department of Otolaryngology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, MO
| | - Ann E. Geers
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson
| | - Rosalie M. Uchanski
- Department of Otolaryngology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, MO
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7
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Holder JT, Gifford RH. Effect of Increased Daily Cochlear Implant Use on Auditory Perception in Adults. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2021; 64:4044-4055. [PMID: 34546763 PMCID: PMC9132064 DOI: 10.1044/2021_jslhr-21-00066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2021] [Revised: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Purpose Despite the recommendation for cochlear implant (CI) processor use during all waking hours, variability in average daily wear time remains high. Previous work has shown that objective wear time is significantly correlated with speech recognition outcomes. We aimed to investigate the causal link between daily wear time and speech recognition outcomes and assess one potential underlying mechanism, spectral processing, driving the causal link. We hypothesized that increased CI use would result in improved speech recognition via improved spectral processing. Method Twenty adult CI recipients completed two study visits. The baseline visit included auditory perception testing (speech recognition and spectral processing measures), questionnaire administration, and documentation of data logging from the CI software. Participants watched an educational video, and they were informed of the compensation schedule. Participants were then asked to increase their daily CI use over a 4-week period during everyday life. Baseline measures were reassessed following the 4-week period. Results Seventeen out of 20 participants increased their daily CI use. On average, participants' speech recognition improved by 3.0, 2.4, and 7.0 percentage points per hour of increased average daily CI use for consonant-nucleus-consonant words, AzBio sentences, and AzBio sentences in noise, respectively. Questionnaire scores were similar between visits. Spectral processing showed significant improvement and accounted for a small amount of variance in the change in speech recognition values. Conclusions Improved consistency of processor use over a 4-week period yielded significant improvements in speech recognition scores. Though a significant factor, spectral processing is likely not the only mechanism driving improvement in speech recognition; further research is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jourdan T. Holder
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
| | - René H. Gifford
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
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Goykhburg MV, Nechaev DI, Bakhshinyan VV, Tavartkiladze GA. [Evaluation of the cochlear implantation users rehabilitation results using psychoacoustic methods]. Vestn Otorinolaringol 2021; 86:10-16. [PMID: 34964322 DOI: 10.17116/otorino20218606110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Currently, the number of patients with bilateral sensorineural deafness treated with cochlear implantation (CI) is increasing in the Russian Federation. In this regard, methods of assessing the auditory rehabilitation of this category of patients become more relevant. OBJECTIVE To investigate the correlation of the speech intelligibility in quiet with frequency resolving power (FRP) of hearing using a ripple-spectrum phase reversion test (RSPRT) in CI users. MATERIAL AND METHODS The study includes 30 CI users, three of them after bilateral CI, aged from 13 to 63 years with CI usage experience from 1 year to 16 years. 19 patients used CI systems manufactured by Cochlear Ltd. (Australia), 11 patients used CI systems manufactured by Advanced Bionics (Switzerland). All subjects underwent a number of studies including pure tone audiometry (TPA), speech audiometry in quiet using a multi-syllable speech material on a two-channel clinical audiometer AC-40 (Interacoustics A/S, Denmark); PC with recorded phonetic material from which the signal was reproduced, acoustic speaker SP90 (Interacoustics A/S, Denmark), for FRP estimation - RSPRT test in a free sound field, which was installed on the PC and also reproduced through SP 90 speakers (Interacoustics A/S, Denmark) were used. RESULTS According to TPA results in a free sound field, the sound perception thresholds in all subjects corresponded to the mild degree sensorineural hearing loss. The sound perception threshold in the free sound field in the range from 500 Hz to 4 kHz was within the range of 25-30 dB nHL. The percentage of speech intelligibility in quiet in the free sound field ranged from 5 to 100%. During the FRP study of patients using RSPRT test, the following results were obtained: the average value of RSPRT test results at the frequency of 1 kHz was 1.94 RPO; for 2 kHz - 2.3 RPO; for 4 kHz - 2.2. The significant correlation between the speech intelligibility in quiet and frequency resolution of hearing was obtained at 1 and 4 kHz. The highest correlation coefficient was detected at 1 kHz - r=0.57 (p=0.0005), while at 4 kHz it was lower - r=0.46 (p=0.009), and at 2 kHz - at the boundary of the significance: r=0.34 (p=0.051). CONCLUSIONS As a result of the study, it was found that there is a correlation between speech intelligibility in quiet and FRP of hearing, which makes it possible to recommend the use of RSPRT in assessing the auditory rehabilitation of patients after CI.
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Affiliation(s)
- M V Goykhburg
- Russian Scientific and Clinical Center for Audiology and Hearing Prosthetics of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency, Moscow, Russia
| | - D I Nechaev
- Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - V V Bakhshinyan
- Russian Scientific and Clinical Center for Audiology and Hearing Prosthetics of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency, Moscow, Russia
- Russian Medical Academy for Continuous Professional Education, Moscow, Russia
| | - G A Tavartkiladze
- Russian Scientific and Clinical Center for Audiology and Hearing Prosthetics of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency, Moscow, Russia
- Russian Medical Academy for Continuous Professional Education, Moscow, Russia
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Kirby BJ, Spratford M, Klein KE, McCreery RW. Cognitive Abilities Contribute to Spectro-Temporal Discrimination in Children Who Are Hard of Hearing. Ear Hear 2019; 40:645-650. [PMID: 30130295 DOI: 10.1097/aud.0000000000000645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Spectral ripple discrimination tasks have received considerable interest as potential clinical tools for use with adults and children with hearing loss. Previous results have indicated that performance on ripple tasks is affected by differences in aided audibility [quantified using the Speech Intelligibility Index, or Speech Intelligibility Index (SII)] in children who wear hearing aids and that ripple thresholds tend to improve over time in children with and without hearing loss. Although ripple task performance is thought to depend less on language skills than common speech perception tasks, the extent to which spectral ripple discrimination might depend on other general cognitive abilities such as nonverbal intelligence and working memory is unclear. This is an important consideration for children because age-related changes in ripple test results could be due to developing cognitive ability and could obscure the effect of any changes in unaided or aided hearing over time. The purpose of this study was to establish the relationship between spectral ripple discrimination in a group of children who use hearing aids and general cognitive abilities such as nonverbal intelligence, visual and auditory working memory, and executive function. It was hypothesized that, after controlling for listener age, general cognitive ability would be associated with spectral ripple thresholds and performance on both auditory and visual cognitive tasks would be associated with spectral ripple thresholds. DESIGN Children who were full-time users of hearing aids for at least 1 year (n = 24, ages 6 to 13 years) participated in this study. Children completed a spectro-temporal modulated ripple discrimination task in the sound field using their personal hearing aids. Threshold was determined from the average of two repetitions of the task. Participants completed standard measurements of executive function, nonverbal intelligence, and visual and verbal working memory. Real ear verification measures were completed for each child with their personal hearing aids to determine aided SII. RESULTS Consistent with past findings, spectro-temporal ripple thresholds improved with greater listener age. Surprisingly, aided SII was not significantly correlated with spectro-temporal ripple thresholds potentially because this particular group of listeners had overall better hearing and greater aided SII than participants in previous studies. Partial correlations controlling for listener age revealed that greater nonverbal intelligence and visual working memory were associated with better spectro-temporal ripple discrimination thresholds. Verbal working memory, executive function, and language ability were not significantly correlated with spectro-temporal ripple discrimination thresholds. CONCLUSIONS These results indicate that greater general cognitive abilities are associated with better spectro-temporal ripple discrimination ability, independent of children's age or aided SII. It is possible that these relationships reflect the cognitive demands of the psychophysical task rather than a direct relationship of cognitive ability to spectro-temporal processing in the auditory system. Further work is needed to determine the relationships of cognitive abilities to ripple discrimination in other populations, such as children with cochlear implants or with a wider range of aided SII.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin J Kirby
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois, USA
| | | | - Kelsey E Klein
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
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Temporal Sensitivity Measured Shortly After Cochlear Implantation Predicts 6-Month Speech Recognition Outcome. Ear Hear 2019; 40:27-33. [PMID: 29697465 DOI: 10.1097/aud.0000000000000588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Psychoacoustic tests assessed shortly after cochlear implantation are useful predictors of the rehabilitative speech outcome. While largely independent, both spectral and temporal resolution tests are important to provide an accurate prediction of speech recognition. However, rapid tests of temporal sensitivity are currently lacking. Here, we propose a simple amplitude modulation rate discrimination (AMRD) paradigm that is validated by predicting future speech recognition in adult cochlear implant (CI) patients. DESIGN In 34 newly implanted patients, we used an adaptive AMRD paradigm, where broadband noise was modulated at the speech-relevant rate of ~4 Hz. In a longitudinal study, speech recognition in quiet was assessed using the closed-set Freiburger number test shortly after cochlear implantation (t0) as well as the open-set Freiburger monosyllabic word test 6 months later (t6). RESULTS Both AMRD thresholds at t0 (r = -0.51) and speech recognition scores at t0 (r = 0.56) predicted speech recognition scores at t6. However, AMRD and speech recognition at t0 were uncorrelated, suggesting that those measures capture partially distinct perceptual abilities. A multiple regression model predicting 6-month speech recognition outcome with deafness duration and speech recognition at t0 improved from adjusted R = 0.30 to adjusted R = 0.44 when AMRD threshold was added as a predictor. CONCLUSIONS These findings identify AMRD thresholds as a reliable, nonredundant predictor above and beyond established speech tests for CI outcome. This AMRD test could potentially be developed into a rapid clinical temporal-resolution test to be integrated into the postoperative test battery to improve the reliability of speech outcome prognosis.
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Zhang F, Underwood G, McGuire K, Liang C, Moore DR, Fu QJ. Frequency change detection and speech perception in cochlear implant users. Hear Res 2019; 379:12-20. [PMID: 31035223 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2019.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2018] [Revised: 03/21/2019] [Accepted: 04/15/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Dynamic frequency changes in sound provide critical cues for speech perception. Most previous studies examining frequency discrimination in cochlear implant (CI) users have employed behavioral tasks in which target and reference tones (differing in frequency) are presented statically in separate time intervals. Participants are required to identify the target frequency by comparing stimuli across these time intervals. However, perceiving dynamic frequency changes in speech requires detection of within-interval frequency change. This study explored the relationship between detection of within-interval frequency changes and speech perception performance of CI users. Frequency change detection thresholds (FCDTs) were measured in 20 adult CI users using a 3-alternative forced-choice (3AFC) procedure. Stimuli were 1-sec pure tones (base frequencies at 0.25, 1, 4 kHz) with frequency changes occurring 0.5 s after the tone onset. Speech tests were 1) Consonant-Nucleus-Consonant (CNC) monosyllabic word recognition, 2) Arizona Biomedical Sentence Recognition (AzBio) in Quiet, 3) AzBio in Noise (AzBio-N, +10 dB signal-to-noise/SNR ratio), and 4) Digits-in-noise (DIN). Participants' subjective satisfaction with the CI was obtained. Results showed that correlations between FCDTs and speech perception were all statistically significant. The satisfaction level of CI use was not related to FCDTs, after controlling for major demographic factors. DIN speech reception thresholds were significantly correlated to AzBio-N scores. The current findings suggest that the ability to detect within-interval frequency changes may play an important role in speech perception performance of CI users. FCDT and DIN can serve as simple and rapid tests that require no or minimal linguistic background for the prediction of CI speech outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fawen Zhang
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.
| | - Gabrielle Underwood
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Kelli McGuire
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Chun Liang
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Shenzhen Maternity & Child Healthcare Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - David R Moore
- Communication Sciences Research Center, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA; Department of Otolaryngology, University of Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Qian-Jie Fu
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Holder JT, Reynolds SM, Sunderhaus LW, Gifford RH. Current Profile of Adults Presenting for Preoperative Cochlear Implant Evaluation. Trends Hear 2019; 22:2331216518755288. [PMID: 29441835 PMCID: PMC6027468 DOI: 10.1177/2331216518755288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Considerable advancements in cochlear implant technology (e.g., electric acoustic stimulation) and assessment materials have yielded expanded criteria. Despite this, it is unclear whether individuals with better audiometric thresholds and speech understanding are being referred for cochlear implant workup and pursuing cochlear implantation. The purpose of this study was to characterize the mean auditory and demographic profile of adults presenting for preoperative cochlear implant workup. Data were collected prospectively for all adult preoperative workups at Vanderbilt from 2013 to 2015. Subjects included 287 adults (253 postlingually deafened) with a mean age of 62.3 years. Each individual was assessed using the minimum speech test battery, spectral modulation detection, subjective questionnaires, and cognitive screening. Mean consonant-nucleus-consonant word scores, AzBio sentence scores, and pure-tone averages for postlingually deafened adults were 10%, 13%, and 89 dB HL, respectively, for the ear to be implanted. Seventy-three individuals (25.4%) met labeled indications for Hybrid-L and 207 individuals (72.1%) had aidable hearing in the better hearing ear to be used in a bimodal hearing configuration. These results suggest that mean speech understanding evaluated at cochlear implant workup remains very low despite recent advancements. Greater awareness and insurance accessibility may be needed to make cochlear implant technology available to those who qualify for electric acoustic stimulation devices as well as individuals meeting conventional cochlear implant criteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jourdan T Holder
- 1 Department of Hearing and Speech Science, Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Susan M Reynolds
- 1 Department of Hearing and Speech Science, Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Linsey W Sunderhaus
- 1 Department of Hearing and Speech Science, Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - René H Gifford
- 1 Department of Hearing and Speech Science, Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.,2 Advanced Bionics, Valencia, CA, USA.,3 Cochlear Americas, Englewood, CO, USA.,4 Frequency Therapeutics, Woburn, MA, USA
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13
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DiNino M, Arenberg JG. Age-Related Performance on Vowel Identification and the Spectral-temporally Modulated Ripple Test in Children With Normal Hearing and With Cochlear Implants. Trends Hear 2019; 22:2331216518770959. [PMID: 29708065 PMCID: PMC5949928 DOI: 10.1177/2331216518770959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Children’s performance on psychoacoustic tasks improves with age, but inadequate auditory input may delay this maturation. Cochlear implant (CI) users receive a degraded auditory signal with reduced frequency resolution compared with normal, acoustic hearing; thus, immature auditory abilities may contribute to the variation among pediatric CI users’ speech recognition scores. This study investigated relationships between age-related variables, spectral resolution, and vowel identification scores in prelingually deafened, early-implanted children with CIs compared with normal hearing (NH) children. All participants performed vowel identification and the Spectral-temporally Modulated Ripple Test (SMRT). Vowel stimuli for NH children were vocoded to simulate the reduced spectral resolution of CI hearing. Age positively predicted NH children’s vocoded vowel identification scores, but time with the CI was a stronger predictor of vowel recognition and SMRT performance of children with CIs. For both groups, SMRT thresholds were related to vowel identification performance, analogous to previous findings in adults. Sequential information analysis of vowel feature perception indicated greater transmission of duration-related information compared with formant features in both groups of children. In addition, the amount of F2 information transmitted predicted SMRT thresholds in children with NH and with CIs. Comparisons between the two CIs of bilaterally implanted children revealed disparate task performance levels and information transmission values within the same child. These findings indicate that adequate auditory experience contributes to auditory perceptual abilities of pediatric CI users. Further, factors related to individual CIs may be more relevant to psychoacoustic task performance than are the overall capabilities of the child.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mishaela DiNino
- 1 Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Julie G Arenberg
- 1 Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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14
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Croghan NBH, Smith ZM. Speech Understanding With Various Maskers in Cochlear-Implant and Simulated Cochlear-Implant Hearing: Effects of Spectral Resolution and Implications for Masking Release. Trends Hear 2019; 22:2331216518787276. [PMID: 30022730 PMCID: PMC6053854 DOI: 10.1177/2331216518787276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between psychophysical spectral resolution and sentence reception in various types of interfering backgrounds for listeners with cochlear implants and normal-hearing subjects listening to vocoded speech. Spectral resolution was measured with a spectral modulation detection (SMD) task. For speech testing, maskers included stationary speech-shaped noise (SSN), four-talker babble, multitone noise, and a competing talker. To explore the possible trade-offs between spectral resolution and susceptibility to different types of maskers, the degree of simulated current spread was varied within the vocoder group, achieving a range of performance for SMD and speech tasks. Greater simulated current spread was detrimental to both spectral resolution and speech recognition, suggesting that interventions that decrease current spread may improve performance for both tasks. Better SMD sensitivity was significantly correlated with improved sentence reception. In addition, differences in sentence reception across the four maskers were significantly associated with SMD across the combined group of cochlear-implant and vocoder subjects. Masking release (MR) was quantified as the signal-to-noise ratio difference in speech reception threshold between the SSN and competing talker. Several individual cochlear-implant subjects demonstrated substantial MR, in contrast to previous studies, and the degree of MR increased with better SMD thresholds across subjects. The results of this study suggest that alternative masker types, particularly competing talkers, are more sensitive than stationary SSN to differences in spectral resolution in the cochlear-implant population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naomi B H Croghan
- 1 Denver Research & Technology Labs, Cochlear Ltd., Centennial, CO, USA.,2 Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Zachary M Smith
- 1 Denver Research & Technology Labs, Cochlear Ltd., Centennial, CO, USA.,3 Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO, USA
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Comparison of the Spectral-Temporally Modulated Ripple Test With the Arizona Biomedical Institute Sentence Test in Cochlear Implant Users. Ear Hear 2018; 38:760-766. [PMID: 28957975 DOI: 10.1097/aud.0000000000000496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Although speech perception is the gold standard for measuring cochlear implant (CI) users' performance, speech perception tests often require extensive adaptation to obtain accurate results, particularly after large changes in maps. Spectral ripple tests, which measure spectral resolution, are an alternate measure that has been shown to correlate with speech perception. A modified spectral ripple test, the spectral-temporally modulated ripple test (SMRT) has recently been developed, and the objective of this study was to compare speech perception and performance on the SMRT for a heterogeneous population of unilateral CI users, bilateral CI users, and bimodal users. DESIGN Twenty-five CI users (eight using unilateral CIs, nine using bilateral CIs, and eight using a CI and a hearing aid) were tested on the Arizona Biomedical Institute Sentence Test (AzBio) with a +8 dB signal to noise ratio, and on the SMRT. All participants were tested with their clinical programs. RESULTS There was a significant correlation between SMRT and AzBio performance. After a practice block, an improvement of one ripple per octave for SMRT corresponded to an improvement of 12.1% for AzBio. Additionally, there was no significant difference in slope or intercept between any of the CI populations. CONCLUSION The results indicate that performance on the SMRT correlates with speech recognition in noise when measured across unilateral, bilateral, and bimodal CI populations. These results suggest that SMRT scores are strongly associated with speech recognition in noise ability in experienced CI users. Further studies should focus on increasing both the size and diversity of the tested participants, and on determining whether the SMRT technique can be used for early predictions of long-term speech scores, or for evaluating differences among different stimulation strategies or parameter settings.
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16
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Dai C, Zhao Z, Shen W, Zhang D, Lei G, Qiao Y, Yang S. Evaluation of Mandarin Chinese Speech Recognition in Adults with Cochlear Implants Using the Spectral Ripple Discrimination Test. Med Sci Monit 2018; 24:3557-3563. [PMID: 29806954 PMCID: PMC6001366 DOI: 10.12659/msm.907491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The aim of this study was to explore the value of the spectral ripple discrimination test in speech recognition evaluation among a deaf (post-lingual) Mandarin-speaking population in China following cochlear implantation. Material/Methods The study included 23 Mandarin-speaking adult subjects with normal hearing (normal-hearing group) and 17 deaf adults who were former Mandarin-speakers, with cochlear implants (cochlear implantation group). The normal-hearing subjects were divided into men (n=10) and women (n=13). The spectral ripple discrimination thresholds between the groups were compared. The correlation between spectral ripple discrimination thresholds and Mandarin speech recognition rates in the cochlear implantation group were studied. Results Spectral ripple discrimination thresholds did not correlate with age (r=−0.19; p=0.22), and there was no significant difference in spectral ripple discrimination thresholds between the male and female groups (p=0.654). Spectral ripple discrimination thresholds of deaf adults with cochlear implants were significantly correlated with monosyllabic recognition rates (r=0.84; p=0.000). Conclusions In a Mandarin Chinese speaking population, spectral ripple discrimination thresholds of normal-hearing individuals were unaffected by both gender and age. Spectral ripple discrimination thresholds were correlated with Mandarin monosyllabic recognition rates of Mandarin-speaking in post-lingual deaf adults with cochlear implants. The spectral ripple discrimination test is a promising method for speech recognition evaluation in adults following cochlear implantation in China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuanfu Dai
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing Tsinghua Chang Gung Hospital, School of Clinical Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China (mainland).,Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Chinese Peoples' Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing, China (mainland)
| | - Zeqi Zhao
- Institute of Audiology and Balance Science, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China (mainland).,Clinical Hearing Center of Affiliated Hospital, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China (mainland)
| | - Weidong Shen
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Chinese Peoples' Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing, China (mainland).,Key Laboratory of Hearing Impairment Science, Chinese Peoples' Liberation Army Medical School, Chinese Ministry of Education, Beijing, China (mainland).,Beijing Key Laboratory of Hearing Impairment Prevention and Treatment, Beijing, China (mainland)
| | - Duo Zhang
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Chinese Peoples' Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing, China (mainland).,Key Laboratory of Hearing Impairment Science, Chinese Peoples' Liberation Army Medical School, Chinese Ministry of Education, Beijing, China (mainland).,Beijing Key Laboratory of Hearing Impairment Prevention and Treatment, Beijing, China (mainland)
| | - Guanxiong Lei
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Chinese Peoples' Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing, China (mainland).,Key Laboratory of Hearing Impairment Science, Chinese Peoples' Liberation Army Medical School, Chinese Ministry of Education, Beijing, China (mainland).,Beijing Key Laboratory of Hearing Impairment Prevention and Treatment, Beijing, China (mainland)
| | - Yuehua Qiao
- Institute of Audiology and Balance Science, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China (mainland).,Clinical Hearing Center of Affiliated Hospital, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China (mainland)
| | - Shiming Yang
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Chinese Peoples' Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing, China (mainland).,Key Laboratory of Hearing Impairment Science, Chinese Peoples' Liberation Army Medical School, Chinese Ministry of Education, Beijing, China (mainland).,Beijing Key Laboratory of Hearing Impairment Prevention and Treatment, Beijing, China (mainland)
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17
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McKay CM, Rickard N, Henshall K. Intensity Discrimination and Speech Recognition of Cochlear Implant Users. J Assoc Res Otolaryngol 2018; 19:589-600. [PMID: 29777327 DOI: 10.1007/s10162-018-0675-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2017] [Accepted: 05/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The relation between speech recognition and within-channel or across-channel (i.e., spectral tilt) intensity discrimination was measured in nine CI users (11 ears). Within-channel intensity difference limens (IDLs) were measured at four electrode locations across the electrode array. Spectral tilt difference limens were measured with (XIDL-J) and without (XIDL) level jitter. Only three subjects could perform the XIDL-J task with the amount of jitter required to limit use of within-channel cues. XIDLs (normalized to %DR) were correlated with speech recognition (r = 0.67, P = 0.019) and were highly correlated with IDLs. XIDLs were on average nearly 3 times larger than IDLs and did not vary consistently with the spatial separation of the two component electrodes. The overall pattern of results was consistent with a common underlying subject-dependent limitation in the two difference limen tasks, hypothesized to be perceptual variance (how the perception of a sound differs on different presentations), which may also underlie the correlation of XIDLs with speech recognition. Evidence that spectral tilt discrimination is more important for speech recognition than within-channel intensity discrimination was not unequivocally shown in this study. However, the results tended to support this proposition, with XIDLs more correlated with speech performance than IDLs, and the ratio XIDL/IDL also being correlated with speech recognition. If supported by further research, the importance of perceptual variance as a limiting factor in speech understanding for CI users has important implications for efforts to improve outcomes for those with poor speech recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colette M McKay
- Bionics Institute, 384-388 Albert St, East Melbourne, 3002, Australia. .,Department of Medical Bionics, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
| | - Natalie Rickard
- Bionics Institute, 384-388 Albert St, East Melbourne, 3002, Australia
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Abstract
OBJECTIVES Spectral resolution is a correlate of open-set speech understanding in postlingually deaf adults and prelingually deaf children who use cochlear implants (CIs). To apply measures of spectral resolution to assess device efficacy in younger CI users, it is necessary to understand how spectral resolution develops in normal-hearing children. In this study, spectral ripple discrimination (SRD) was used to measure listeners' sensitivity to a shift in phase of the spectral envelope of a broadband noise. Both resolution of peak to peak location (frequency resolution) and peak to trough intensity (across-channel intensity resolution) are required for SRD. DESIGN SRD was measured as the highest ripple density (in ripples per octave) for which a listener could discriminate a 90° shift in phase of the sinusoidally-modulated amplitude spectrum. A 2 × 3 between-subjects design was used to assess the effects of age (7-month-old infants versus adults) and ripple peak/trough "depth" (10, 13, and 20 dB) on SRD in normal-hearing listeners (experiment 1). In experiment 2, SRD thresholds in the same age groups were compared using a task in which ripple starting phases were randomized across trials to obscure within-channel intensity cues. In experiment 3, the randomized starting phase method was used to measure SRD as a function of age (3-month-old infants, 7-month-old infants, and young adults) and ripple depth (10 and 20 dB in repeated measures design). RESULTS In experiment 1, there was a significant interaction between age and ripple depth. The infant SRDs were significantly poorer than the adult SRDs at 10 and 13 dB ripple depths but adult-like at 20 dB depth. This result is consistent with immature across-channel intensity resolution. In contrast, the trajectory of SRD as a function of depth was steeper for infants than adults suggesting that frequency resolution was better in infants than adults. However, in experiment 2 infant performance was significantly poorer than adults at 20 dB depth suggesting that variability of infants' use of within-channel intensity cues, rather than better frequency resolution, explained the results of experiment 1. In experiment 3, age effects were seen with both groups of infants showing poorer SRD than adults but, unlike experiment 1, no significant interaction between age and depth was seen. CONCLUSIONS Measurement of SRD thresholds in individual 3 to 7-month-old infants is feasible. Performance of normal-hearing infants on SRD may be limited by across-channel intensity resolution despite mature frequency resolution. These findings have significant implications for design and stimulus choice for applying SRD for testing infants with CIs. The high degree of variability in infant SRD can be somewhat reduced by obscuring within-channel cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- David L Horn
- 1Virginia Merrill Bloedel Hearing Research Center, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA; 2Division of Otolaryngology, Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, Wahington, USA; and 3Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
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Horn DL, Dudley DJ, Dedhia K, Nie K, Drennan WR, Won JH, Rubinstein JT, Werner LA. Effects of age and hearing mechanism on spectral resolution in normal hearing and cochlear-implanted listeners. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2017; 141:613. [PMID: 28147578 PMCID: PMC5848837 DOI: 10.1121/1.4974203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2016] [Revised: 12/21/2016] [Accepted: 01/04/2017] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Spectral resolution limits speech perception with a cochlear implant (CI) in post-lingually deaf adults. However, the development of spectral resolution in pre-lingually deaf implanted children is not well understood. Acoustic spectral resolution was measured as a function of age (school-age versus adult) in CI and normal-hearing (NH) participants using spectral ripple discrimination (SRD). A 3-alternative forced-choice task was used to obtain SRD thresholds at five ripple depths. Effects of age and hearing method on SRD and spectral modulation transfer function (SMTF) slope (reflecting frequency resolution) and x-intercept (reflecting across-channel intensity resolution) were examined. Correlations between SRD, SMTF parameters, age, and speech perception in noise were studied. Better SRD in NH than CI participants was observed at all depths. SRD thresholds and SMTF slope correlated with speech perception in CI users. When adjusted for floor performance, x-intercept did not correlate with SMTF slope or speech perception. Age and x-intercept correlations were positive and significant in NH but not CI children suggesting that across-channel intensity resolution matures during school-age in NH children. No evidence for maturation of spectral resolution beyond early school-age in pre-lingually deaf implanted CI users was found in the present study.
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Affiliation(s)
- David L Horn
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Virginia Merrill Bloedel Hearing Research Center, University of Washington, Box 357923, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Daniel J Dudley
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Virginia Merrill Bloedel Hearing Research Center, University of Washington, Box 357923, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Kavita Dedhia
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Virginia Merrill Bloedel Hearing Research Center, University of Washington, Box 357923, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Kaibao Nie
- School of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, University of Washington, Bothell, Washington 98011, USA
| | - Ward R Drennan
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Virginia Merrill Bloedel Hearing Research Center, University of Washington, Box 357923, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Jong Ho Won
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Virginia Merrill Bloedel Hearing Research Center, University of Washington, Box 357923, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Jay T Rubinstein
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Virginia Merrill Bloedel Hearing Research Center, University of Washington, Box 357923, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Lynne A Werner
- Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
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