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Bimodal hearing and speech perception with a competing talker.
Verena Pyschny1, Markus Landwehr, Moritz Hahn
1Jean-Uhrmacher-Institute for Clinical ENT-Research, University of Cologne, Germany. verena.pyschny@uk-koeln.de
Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research : JSLHR
|April 19, 2011
Summary
Bimodal hearing, using a hearing aid (HA) and cochlear implant (CI) together, slightly improved speech recognition. However, it did not enhance the ability to separate competing talkers, which relied on voice pitch differences.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Speech-Language Pathology
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Hearing loss significantly impacts speech understanding, especially in noisy environments.
- Cochlear implants (CI) and hearing aids (HA) are common assistive devices.
- Bimodal stimulation (using both CI and HA) is an increasingly explored audiological approach.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effect of bimodal stimulation (CI + HA) on speech recognition in the presence of a competing talker.
- To determine if bimodal fitting improves target-masker segregation compared to single device use.
Main Methods:
- Speech recognition was assessed in three conditions: HA alone, CI alone, and CI + HA.
- A competing masker voice was manipulated to analyze low-frequency cue utilization.
- Twelve adults with cochlear implants participated.
Main Results:
- Bimodal stimulation (CI + HA) provided a small benefit over CI alone for overall speech recognition.
- Error analysis indicated that the benefit was not due to improved target-masker segregation.
- Significant differences in fundamental frequency (F0) between voices were the primary factor for segregation.
Conclusions:
- Bimodal hearing enhances overall speech recognition but does not improve the ability to separate a target from a competing masker.
- The effectiveness of speech segregation relies heavily on fundamental frequency differences, regardless of the listening device configuration.
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