FEATURES OF STIMULATION IMPORTANT FOR ELECTRICAL HEARING

产品说明：（根据申请人摘要）在过去五年中，听觉假体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证明，耳蜗植入物的语音识别可以受到传递到植入物的各个通道的电刺激的配置的显著影响。本提案的目的是使用语音识别和心理物理措施来定义电刺激的特定空间配置的功能效果。我们将扩展以前的研究，以定义的处理策略和类型的刺激，各种配置的电信号是最有效的。将使用植入Nucleus 22、Nucleus 24 M和Clarion假体的人类受试者。心理物理测量将包括脉搏率、调制频率、电极位置和强度的不同阈值。语音识别测试的刺激包括音素、单词和在安静和噪音中测试的完整句子。这些研究将由特定电流配置产生的中枢神经兴奋的空间范围和模式的模型指导。心理物理阈值，响度，和间隙检测数据，已被提出来反映神经激活的传播将获得各种配置。这一系列研究预计将通过（a）影响将当今处理器适配到个体患者的程序和（B）指导未来植入物的电极阵列和处理器的设计，改善植入人工耳蜗患者的性能。

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.