FEATURES OF STIMULATION IMPORTANT FOR ELECTRICAL HEARING

描述：（根据申请人摘要）在过去的五年中，听觉假肢研究中最令人兴奋的进展之一是我们的实验室和其他实验室的证明，人工耳蜗植入物的语音识别可以显著地受到传递到植入物各个通道的电刺激配置的影响。本提案的目的是利用语音识别和心理物理测量来定义电刺激的特定空间配置的功能效应。我们将扩展先前的研究，以定义各种电信号配置最有效的处理策略和刺激类型。人类受试者将使用22号核、24M核和Clarion假体。心理物理测量将包括脉搏率、调制频率、电极位置和强度的差异阈值。语音识别测试的刺激物将包括在安静和噪音中测试的音素、单词和完整的句子。研究将以特定电流配置产生的中枢神经兴奋的空间范围和模式模型为指导。心理物理阈值、响度和间隙检测数据已被提出，以反映神经激活的传播将获得各种配置。这一系列的研究预计将通过(a)影响当前处理器适合个体患者的程序和(b)指导未来植入物的电极阵列和处理器的设计，从而改善人工耳蜗植入患者的性能。

DESCRIPTION: (as per applicant abstract) One of the most exciting advances in auditory prosthesis research in the last five years is the demonstration by our laboratory and others that speech recognition with cochlear implants can be significantly affected by the configuration of the electrical stimuli delivered to individual channels of the implant. The objectives of this proposal are to define the functional effects of specific spatial configurations of the electrical stimulus using speech recognition and psychophysical measures. We will expand on previous studies to define the processing strategies and types of stimuli for which various configurations of the electrical signal are most effective. Human subjects with Nucleus 22, Nucleus 24M and Clarion prostheses will be used. Psychophysical measures will include difference limens for pulse-rate, modulation-frequency, electrode-place, and intensity. Stimuli for speech-recognition testing will include phonemes, words, and complete sentences tested in quiet and in noise. The studies will be guided by models of the spatial extent and pattern of central neural excitation generated by specific electrical- current configurations. Psychophysical threshold, loudness, and gap detection data that have been proposed to reflect spread of neural activation will be obtained for the various configurations. This series of studies is expected to lead to improved performance in patients with cochlear implants by (a) influencing the procedures for fitting today's processors to individual patients and (b) guiding the design of electrode arrays and processors for the implants of the future.