Binaural unmasking of tones and speech in bilateral cochlear implantees

双侧人工耳蜗植入者的双耳揭示音调和言语

• 批准号: 9177103
• 负责人: Matthew J. Goupell
• 金额: $ 37.33万
• 依托单位: UNIV OF MARYLAND, COLLEGE PARK
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2016
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2016-06-01 至 2021-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9177103
• 关键词: Acoustics; Affect; Algorithms; Back; Basic Science; Bilateral; Binaural; Bionics; Clinical; Cochlear Implants; Complex; Data; Detection; Devices; Ear; Electrodes; Environment; Equilibrium; Frequencies; Future; Goals; Guidelines; Hand; Health; Hearing; Implant; Intervention; Knowledge; Laboratories; Life; Maps; Masks; Measures; Mission; Modeling; Noise; Outcome; Performance; Procedures; Process; Public Health; Quality of life; Research; Role; Sensory; Signal Transduction; Sound Localization; Speech; Stimulus; Technology; Testing; Translational Research; Weight; Work; base; binaural hearing; disability; hearing impairment; implantable device; improved; innovation; laboratory experiment; neural model; prevent; relating to nervous system; sound; speech processing; stimulus processing; tool

ABSTRACT: Binaural hearing can provide greatly improved signal detection and speech understanding in back- ground noise. However, bilateral cochlear-implant (BICI) users demonstrate limited binaural unmasking (i.e., improved detection and understanding) of signals using speech processors. The gap in knowledge is that it is unclear why binaural unmasking nearly disappears when using speech processors. Until the binaural benefit gap is better understood and reduced, BICI users will have a relatively poor quality of life because of difficulty local- izing sounds and communicating in background noise. The long-term goal is to understand and maximize bin- aural benefits imparted by BICIs. The objective in this application is to understand the breakdown of binaural unmasking as the stimulus complexity increases and when signals are presented via speech processors. The central hypothesis is that BICI users' binaural unmasking is primarily stunted by the interaural decorrelation caused by stimulus-encoding-driven factors (modulations, current spread, and compression). Most studies have shown underwhelming binaural unmasking in BICI users, but few have considered the limiting role of interaural decorrelation. Our approach to investigate this problem is two-pronged: to better understand and increase un- masking in BICI listeners, and better understand and intentionally decrease unmasking in NH listeners (i.e., making them more like the BICI listeners). Then, we will compare perceptual performance to stimulus analyses of the physical waveforms, the stimuli processed by speech processing algorithms, and modeled neural repre- sentations of the electrical signals. With strong preliminary data in hand, the central hypothesis will be tested by pursuing four specific aims: (1) Measure the extent to which the internal representation of modulated single- electrode stimuli in BICI listeners is interaurally decorrelated; (2) Measure the extent to which current spread and compression limit binaural unmasking of tones in noise in multi-electrode stimulation; (3) Develop a model of across-frequency static and dynamic ILD processing; and (4) Measure the extent to which binaural unmasking of speech in noise is reduced by interaural decorrelation from modulations, current spread, and compression. The approach is innovative because it (1) investigates signal-based factors affecting binaural unmasking and other binaural benefits in BICIs and (2) investigates the role of ILDs to impart these benefits. The proposed research is significant because it helps us understand the barriers to larger binaural benefits in BICI users, which can inform changes to speech processing strategies and clinical device setting guidelines. Larger binaural un- masking and benefits will produce an important positive impact on CI users' quality of life because they will be better able to localize sounds and communicate in noisy environments.

摘要：双耳听觉可以大大改善背侧的信号检测和语音理解。 地面噪音然而，双侧耳蜗植入物（BICI）使用者表现出有限的双耳暴露（即， 改进的检测和理解）。知识的差距在于 不清楚为什么在使用语音处理器时双耳去掩蔽几乎消失。直到双耳效益差距 更好地理解和减少，BICI用户将有一个相对较差的生活质量，因为当地的困难- 在背景噪音中识别声音和交流。长期目标是了解并最大限度地利用 BICI带来的听觉益处。本申请的目的是了解双耳 当刺激复杂性增加时以及当信号通过语音处理器呈现时，的 中心假设是BICI用户的双耳暴露主要受到耳间去相关的阻碍 由刺激编码驱动因素（调制、电流扩展和压缩）引起。大多数研究 在BICI用户中显示出令人印象深刻的双耳解蔽，但很少有人考虑到耳间的限制作用。 去相关我们调查这个问题的方法是双管齐下的：更好地了解和增加非政府组织， BICI收听者中的掩蔽，并且更好地理解和有意地减少NH收听者中的解蔽（即， 使他们更像BICI的听众）。然后，我们将比较知觉表现的刺激分析 的物理波形，由语音处理算法处理的刺激，和建模的神经代表， 电信号的信号。有了强有力的初步数据，中心假设将通过以下方式进行检验： 追求四个具体目标：（1）测量调制的单一信号的内部表征的程度， BICI听众中的电极刺激是耳间去相关的;（2）测量电流传播的程度， 压缩限制双耳暴露噪声中的音调在多电极刺激;（3）开发一个模型， 跨频率静态和动态ILD处理;以及（4）测量双耳暴露的程度 通过来自调制、电流扩展和压缩的耳间去相关来降低噪声中的语音的噪声。 该方法是创新的，因为它（1）调查影响双耳解蔽的基于信号的因素， BICI中的其他双耳益处和（2）研究ILD赋予这些益处的作用。拟议 研究很重要，因为它帮助我们了解BICI用户获得更大双耳益处的障碍，这 可以告知语音处理策略和临床设备设置指南的变化。更大的双耳不- 掩蔽和益处将对CI用户的生活质量产生重要的积极影响，因为它们将 能够更好地定位声音并在嘈杂的环境中进行交流。