Enhancing Tone Recognition for Cochlear Implant Users

这项研究的总体长期目标是开发新的用于耳蜗的语音处理策略 植入说声调语言的用户。在尝试改善人工耳蜗术中声调语言知觉时， 目前的建议侧重于加强电子听力中音调信息的传输，因为 声调信息对声调语言的言语感知是至关重要的，而目前的人工耳蜗术并不是这样 为用户提供足够的音调信息。提出了三个实验来增强不同的色调- 人工耳蜗术中的相关信息。具体目标1是调查预处理器是否修改 单音节的总振幅包络能更好地接近其基频轮廓，可以增强 人工耳蜗术中的音调识别。初步研究表明，这种幅度包络修改 在4通道人工耳蜗声学模拟中显著提高了中文音调识别，而不需要 对元音识别产生不利影响。声调语言耳蜗声调和元音识别 植入物使用者将在不同量的这种幅度包络修改下进行测试，以搜索 音调识别改进和可能的元音识别之间的最佳权衡会降低。特定的 目标2是研究在语音形状噪声或语音杂音噪声中的声调语言知觉 在未植入的耳朵中使用助听器的人工耳蜗术受者。利用声学技术进行的初步研究 人工耳蜗助听器的模拟实验表明，语音中的汉语句子识别-- 形状噪声随着添加更多的低频信息而显著增强；具体地说， 句子识别的增强主要归因于低频时较好的声调识别 信息量为500赫兹。低频声学听力的频率范围和信号电平的影响 通过助听器恢复，作为对侧电听力的补充，将进行调查。特定的 目标3是研究是否可以使用超低音感觉来有效地编码音调信息 由人工耳蜗术中的宽双极刺激模式产生。四通道人工耳蜗术的初步研究 植入声学模拟显示，汉语声调的识别随着数字的增加而显著提高 增加了音调范围内额外频率通道的数量。的设备实现和应用 我们将研究人工耳蜗术中声调语言语音处理的混合刺激模式。

The overall long-term goal of this research is to develop novel speech processing strategies for cochlear implant users speaking tonal languages. In attempt to improve tonal language perception in cochlear implants, the present proposal focuses on enhancing the transmission of tonal information in electric hearing, because tonal information is crucial for speech perception in tonal languages, and that current cochlear implants do not provide sufficient tonal information for users. Three experiments are proposed to enhance different tone- related information in cochlear implants. Specific Aim 1 is to investigate whether pre-processors modifying single syllable's overall amplitude envelope to better resemble its fundamental frequency contour can enhance tone recognition in cochlear implants. Pilot studies revealed that such amplitude envelope modifications significantly improved Chinese tone recognition in 4-channel cochlear implant acoustic simulations, without adversely affecting vowel recognition. Tone and vowel recognition of tonal-language-speaking cochlear implant users will be tested under different amounts of such amplitude envelope modifications, to search for the best trade-off between tone recognition improvement and possible vowel recognition decrease. Specific Aim 2 is to investigate tonal language perception in speech-shaped noise or speech-babble noise with cochlear implant recipients using a hearing aid in the non-implanted ear. Pilot studies using acoustic simulations of a cochlear implant with a hearing aid showed that, Chinese sentence recognition in speech- shaped noise was significantly enhanced as more low frequency information was added; specifically, such sentence recognition enhancement was mostly due to better tone recognition when the low frequency information was 500 Hz. The effects of frequency range and signal level of the low frequency acoustic hearing restored by hearing aid, as a complement to the contra-lateral electric hearing, will be investigated. Specific Aim 3 is to investigate whether tonal information can be effectively encoded using extra low pitch sensations produced by wide bipolar stimulation modes in cochlear implants. Pilot studies using 4-channel cochlear implant acoustic simulations revealed that Chinese tone recognition was significantly enhanced as the number of extra frequency channels in the pitch range was increased. Device implementations and applications of mixed stimulation modes for tonal language speech processing in cochlear implants will be investigated.