Reduction in spread of excitation as predictor multi-channel spectral resolution

项目摘要/摘要 人工耳蜗(CI)用户可能无法访问其设备提供的所有光谱信息 因为电极之间的通道相互作用。当前的“聚焦”可能会减少渠道互动和 从而提高光谱分辨率。取决于与患者相关的因素(例如，神经元健康、位置 电极等)，个别CI用户可能受益于电流聚焦，也可能不受益于电流聚焦。这个项目的总体目标是 研究是通过当前聚焦来提高CI用户的功能谱分辨率，并识别CI用户 这可能会从集中刺激中受益。我们假设，如果目前的聚焦可以减少 激发，则通道相互作用将减少，光谱分辨率将提高，从而CI 在具有挑战性的听力条件下的表现(例如，在噪音中讲话，对音乐的感知)。如果当前聚焦是 将其应用于“当前操纵”的虚拟通道，可进一步提高频谱分辨率。最终， 电流整形(转向和聚焦)可以针对单个CI用户进行优化，从而实现高效 为每个患者传输最大数量的光谱线索。 在具体目标1中，我们将测量单个电极在多个耳蜗处的兴奋扩散(SOE 地点，有没有电流聚焦。在具体目标2中，我们将测量简单多维的知觉 通道刺激，有电流聚焦和无电流聚焦。在具体目标3中，我们将实施和评估 有电流聚焦和无电流聚焦的实验信号处理策略。 综上所述，这些实验将提供有关国有企业与 对复杂多通道刺激的感知，以及对优化电流成形的指导 临床环境中的个别脑梗塞患者。拟议的研究具有重要意义，因为它的目的是：a)改进 在具有挑战性的听力条件下的CI表现，b)为临床开发电流成形策略 处理器，以及c)创建快速临床测试，以优化个别患者的当前形状。这项研究是 创新之处在于，它寻求开发和实施新的信号处理策略，以改善CI用户的 光谱分辨率。该研究方法结合了客观测量(ECAP)、主观描述符、 单通道和多通道心理物理学，并对实验信号处理进行更好的评估 了解谁可能从当前的关注中受益，以及在什么情况下。

Project Summary / Abstract Cochlear implant (CI) users may be unable to access all of the spectral information provided by their device because of channel interactions between electrodes. Current "focusing" may reduce channel interaction and thereby improve spectral resolution. Depending on patient-related factors (e.g., neuronal health, location of electrodes, etc.), individual CI users may or may not benefit from current focusing. The overall goals of this research are to improve CI users' functional spectral resolution via current focusing and to identify CI users that may benefit from focused stimulation. We hypothesize that if current focusing can reduce the spread of excitation, then channel interaction will be reduced and the spectral resolution will be increased, thereby CI performance in challenging listening conditions (e.g., speech in noise, music perception). If current focusing is applied to "current steered" virtual channels, the spectral resolution may be further increased. Ultimately, current shaping (steering and focusing) can be optimized for individual CI users, allowing for efficient transmission of the maximum amount of spectral cues for each patient. In Specific Aim 1, we will measure the spread of excitation (SOE) for single electrodes at multiple cochlear locations, with and without current focusing. In Specific Aim 2, we will measure perception of simple multi- channel stimuli, with and without current focusing. In Specific Aim 3, we will implement and evaluate experimental signal processing strategies with and without current focusing. Taken together, these experiments will provide important insights regarding the relevance of the SOE for perception of complex multi-channel stimuli, as well as guidance toward optimizing current shaping for individual CI patients in a clinical setting. The proposed research is significant because it aims to: a) improve CI performance in challenging listening conditions, b) develop current-shaping strategies for clinical processors, and c) create quick clinical tests to optimize current shaping for individual patients. The research is innovative in that it seeks to develop and implement new signal processing strategies to improve CI users' spectral resolution. The research approach combines objective measures (ECAPs), subjective descriptors, single- and multi-channel psychophysics, and evaluations of experimental signal processing to better understand who might benefit from current focusing, and under what circumstances.