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Localization in Reverberation with Cochlear Implants: Predicting Performance from Basic Psychophysical Measures

Users of bilateral cochlear implants (CIs) experience difficulties localizing sounds in reverberant rooms, even in rooms where normal-hearing listeners would hardly notice the reverberation. We measured the localization ability of seven bilateral CI users listening with their own devices in anechoic...

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Autores principales: Kerber, Stefan, Seeber, Bernhard U.
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: Springer-Verlag 2013
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3642272/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23440517
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10162-013-0378-z
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author Kerber, Stefan
Seeber, Bernhard U.
author_facet Kerber, Stefan
Seeber, Bernhard U.
author_sort Kerber, Stefan
collection PubMed
description Users of bilateral cochlear implants (CIs) experience difficulties localizing sounds in reverberant rooms, even in rooms where normal-hearing listeners would hardly notice the reverberation. We measured the localization ability of seven bilateral CI users listening with their own devices in anechoic space and in a simulated reverberant room. To determine factors affecting performance in reverberant space we measured the sensitivity to interaural time differences (ITDs), interaural level differences (ILDs), and forward masking in the same participants using direct computer control of the electric stimulation in their CIs. Localization performance, quantified by the coefficient of determination r (2) and the root mean squared error, was significantly worse in the reverberant room than in anechoic conditions. Localization performance in the anechoic room, expressed as r (2), was best predicted by subject’s sensitivity to ILDs. However, the decrease in localization performance caused by reverberation was better predicted by the sensitivity to envelope ITDs measured on single electrode pairs, with a correlation coefficient of 0.92. The CI users who were highly sensitive to envelope ITDs also better maintained their localization ability in reverberant space. Results in the forward masking task added only marginally to the predictions of localization performance in both environments. The results indicate that envelope ITDs provided by CI processors support localization in reverberant space. Thus, methods that improve perceptual access to envelope ITDs could help improve localization with bilateral CIs in everyday listening situations.
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spelling pubmed-36422722013-05-03 Localization in Reverberation with Cochlear Implants: Predicting Performance from Basic Psychophysical Measures Kerber, Stefan Seeber, Bernhard U. J Assoc Res Otolaryngol Research Article Users of bilateral cochlear implants (CIs) experience difficulties localizing sounds in reverberant rooms, even in rooms where normal-hearing listeners would hardly notice the reverberation. We measured the localization ability of seven bilateral CI users listening with their own devices in anechoic space and in a simulated reverberant room. To determine factors affecting performance in reverberant space we measured the sensitivity to interaural time differences (ITDs), interaural level differences (ILDs), and forward masking in the same participants using direct computer control of the electric stimulation in their CIs. Localization performance, quantified by the coefficient of determination r (2) and the root mean squared error, was significantly worse in the reverberant room than in anechoic conditions. Localization performance in the anechoic room, expressed as r (2), was best predicted by subject’s sensitivity to ILDs. However, the decrease in localization performance caused by reverberation was better predicted by the sensitivity to envelope ITDs measured on single electrode pairs, with a correlation coefficient of 0.92. The CI users who were highly sensitive to envelope ITDs also better maintained their localization ability in reverberant space. Results in the forward masking task added only marginally to the predictions of localization performance in both environments. The results indicate that envelope ITDs provided by CI processors support localization in reverberant space. Thus, methods that improve perceptual access to envelope ITDs could help improve localization with bilateral CIs in everyday listening situations. Springer-Verlag 2013-02-26 2013-06 /pmc/articles/PMC3642272/ /pubmed/23440517 http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10162-013-0378-z Text en © The Author(s) 2013 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/ Open Access This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits any use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author(s) and the source are credited.
spellingShingle Research Article
Kerber, Stefan
Seeber, Bernhard U.
Localization in Reverberation with Cochlear Implants: Predicting Performance from Basic Psychophysical Measures
title Localization in Reverberation with Cochlear Implants: Predicting Performance from Basic Psychophysical Measures
title_full Localization in Reverberation with Cochlear Implants: Predicting Performance from Basic Psychophysical Measures
title_fullStr Localization in Reverberation with Cochlear Implants: Predicting Performance from Basic Psychophysical Measures
title_full_unstemmed Localization in Reverberation with Cochlear Implants: Predicting Performance from Basic Psychophysical Measures
title_short Localization in Reverberation with Cochlear Implants: Predicting Performance from Basic Psychophysical Measures
title_sort localization in reverberation with cochlear implants: predicting performance from basic psychophysical measures
topic Research Article
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3642272/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23440517
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10162-013-0378-z
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