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Related Concept Videos

The Cochlea01:13

The Cochlea

The cochlea is a coiled structure in the inner ear that contains hair cells—the sensory receptors of the auditory system. Sound waves are transmitted to the cochlea by small bones attached to the eardrum called the ossicles, which vibrate the oval window that leads to the inner ear. This causes fluid in the chambers of the cochlea to move, vibrating the basilar membrane.
Perceiving Loudness, Pitch, and Location01:21

Perceiving Loudness, Pitch, and Location

The human brain perceives pitch through two primary mechanisms reflected in place theory and frequency theory. Each mechanism describes how sound waves are interpreted as specific pitches by the brain, offering insights into the intricate processes of auditory perception.
Place theory, or place coding, suggests that different pitches are heard because various sound waves activate specific locations along the cochlea's basilar membrane. The brain determines the pitch of a sound by identifying...
Hearing01:31

Hearing

When we hear a sound, our nervous system is detecting sound waves—pressure waves of mechanical energy traveling through a medium. The frequency of the wave is perceived as pitch, while the amplitude is perceived as loudness.

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Systematic Hearing Performance Evaluation Process for Adolescents with Cochlear Implantation at Early Ages
06:04

Systematic Hearing Performance Evaluation Process for Adolescents with Cochlear Implantation at Early Ages

Published on: March 24, 2023

Spatial hearing and speech intelligibility in bilateral cochlear implant users.

Ruth Y Litovsky1, Aaron Parkinson, Jennifer Arcaroli

  • 1Department of Communicative Disorders, Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53705, USA. Litovsky@waisman.wisc.edu

Ear and Hearing
|May 21, 2009
PubMed
Summary

Bilateral cochlear implants improve speech understanding and spatial hearing in adults with postlingual deafness. Benefits increase with experience, especially when sounds are spatially separated, showing early development of directional hearing skills.

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Sound Source Localization Testing in Single-sided Deafness Following Bone Conduction Intervention
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Sound Source Localization Testing in Single-sided Deafness Following Bone Conduction Intervention

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Area of Science:

  • Audiology
  • Neuroscience
  • Biomedical Engineering

Background:

  • Complex auditory environments pose challenges for individuals with hearing impairments.
  • Bilateral cochlear implants (CIs) aim to restore binaural hearing, but their effectiveness in improving spatial hearing and speech intelligibility requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess speech intelligibility and sound localization in adults with bilateral CIs.
  • To examine the progression of these abilities within the first six months of CI activation.
  • To determine the correlation between speech intelligibility and sound localization, and whether lateralization precedes localization.

Main Methods:

  • 17 postlingually deafened adults with bilateral Nucleus 24 Contour CIs participated.
  • Speech intelligibility was tested in quiet and in noise (four-talker babble) at 3 and 6 months post-activation.
  • Sound localization and lateralization abilities were assessed at 3 months.
  • Testing was conducted in unilateral (left or right ear) and bilateral listening modes.

Main Results:

  • Bilateral hearing provided greater speech-in-babble benefit compared to unilateral hearing, particularly when speech and babble were spatially separated.
  • At 3 months, 82% of participants showed bilateral benefit in discriminating sound location (right/left), while only 47% could localize sources within a hemifield.
  • Speech intelligibility scores positively correlated with sound localization abilities.

Conclusions:

  • Bilateral CIs facilitate early development of spatial hearing skills in postlingually deafened adults.
  • While basic sound discrimination emerges early, more refined localization takes longer.
  • Improvements in speech intelligibility with bilateral CIs are time-dependent and enhanced by spatial cues.