COCHLEAR IMPLANT--AUDITORY FUNCTION & SPEECH PERCEPTION

这项拟议的研究的长期目标是了解人工耳蜗植入患者在几种刺激渠道呈现时如何识别语音。为了实现这一目标，我们建议对听力正常的听者和人工耳蜗术后的患者进行融合实验。我们的实验分为三大类。在第一类实验中，有四个实验，目的是比较正常听力受试者听以植入处理器方式处理的语音的表现与植入患者的表现。我们的目标是对照植入系统可能达到的潜在性能水平，评估植入系统在安静和噪声中的实际性能。在第二类实验中，我们的目标是在七个实验中评估选定的信号处理器和电极参数对语音理解的影响。我们的目标是发现处理器参数，这将增强语音理解。我们将评估在信号处理不同的条件下的语音理解，例如，固定通道处理器与n-of-m(类似说话的)处理器，以及CIS与SAS处理器；电极间距和尖端范围不同的条件；以及将输入信号映射到压缩函数上的算法不同的条件。在第三类实验中，是一个单一的实验，在这个实验中，我们模拟植入患者使用通道幅度来识别元音。总体而言，我们的实验旨在首先评估植入物的功能相对于它们的功能有多好；其次，确定可以提高患者表现的处理器变量；第三，让患者更深入地了解患者如何使用信号处理器提供的信息来识别语音。

The long term objective of the proposed research is to understand how cochlear implant patients recognize speech when presented by a few channels of stimulation. To achieve this objective we propose converging experiments with normal-hearing listeners and cochlear-implant patients. Our experiments fall into three, broad categories. In the first category are four experiments in which the aim is to compare the performance of normally hearing subjects listening to speech processed in the manner of an implant processor with the performance of implant patients. Our goal is to assess the reality of implant performance in quiet and in noise against the potential level of performance which might be achieved with implant systems. In the second category of experiments our aim, in seven experiments, is to assess the effects of selected signal-processor and electrode parameters on speech understanding. Our goal is to uncover processor parameters which will enhance speech understanding. We will assess speech understanding under conditions in which the signal processing differs, e.g., fixed channel processors vs. n-of-m (SPEAK-like) processors, and CIS vs.SAS processors; conditions in which the spacing and apical extent of electrodes differ; and conditions in which the algorithms which map input signals on the compression function differ. In the third category of experiments is a single experiment in which we model the use of channel amplitudes by implant patients for vowel recognition. Overall, our experiments are designed, first, to assess how well implants function relative to how well they could function; second, to determine processor variables which could enhance patient performance; and, third, to provide a deeper understanding of how patients use the information delivered by a signal processor to recognize the sounds of speech.