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

项目概要/摘要 植入体（CI）用户可能无法访问其器械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， 从而提高光谱分辨率。根据患者相关因素（例如，神经健康，位置 电极等），个人CI用户可能会或可能不会受益于当前的聚焦。本项目的总体目标 通过电流聚焦提高CI用户的功能光谱分辨率，识别CI用户 可以从集中刺激中获益我们假设，如果电流聚焦可以减少 激发，则通道相互作用将减少，光谱分辨率将增加，从而CI 在具有挑战性的收听条件下的性能（例如，噪声中的语音、音乐感知）。如果当前的焦点是 应用于“电流操纵”虚拟信道，可以进一步增加频谱分辨率。最后， 电流整形（转向和聚焦）可以针对个人CI用户进行优化， 每个患者的最大量的光谱提示的传输。 在具体目标1中，我们将测量多个耳蜗中单个电极的兴奋扩散（SOE）。 位置，有和没有当前的焦点。在具体目标2中，我们将测量简单的多个 通道刺激，有和没有电流聚焦。在具体目标3中，我们将实施和评估 实验信号处理策略，有和没有电流聚焦。 总之，这些实验将提供关于国有企业的相关性的重要见解， 复杂多通道刺激的感知，以及优化电流整形的指导， 在临床环境中的个体CI患者。这项研究的目的是：（1）提高 在具有挑战性的听力条件下的CI性能，B）开发用于临床的电流整形策略 处理器，以及c）创建快速临床测试以优化针对个体患者的电流整形。这项研究是 创新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 光谱分辨率研究方法结合了客观措施（ECAP），主观描述， 单通道和多通道心理物理学，以及实验信号处理的评估，以更好地 了解谁可能受益于当前的重点，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.