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Systematic Hearing Performance Evaluation Process for Adolescents with Cochlear Implantation at Early Ages
Published on: March 24, 2023
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Mandarin lexical tone recognition in bimodal cochlear implant users.
Qian Zhou1,2, Jintao Bi1,2, Haoheng Song1,2
1Beijing Tongren Hospital, Beijing Institute of Otolaryngology, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
International Journal of Audiology
|April 18, 2020
Summary
Mandarin speakers with cochlear implants (CI) and hearing aids (HA) showed improved lexical tone recognition compared to CI alone. This bimodal benefit was greater in noisy conditions, aiding speech perception.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Speech and Hearing Sciences
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Lexical tone recognition is crucial for intelligibility in tonal languages like Mandarin.
- Cochlear implants (CI) restore partial hearing, but challenges remain in perceiving suprasegmental features like tone.
- Bimodal stimulation (CI plus contralateral hearing aid) may enhance auditory input.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of bimodal stimulation on Mandarin lexical tone recognition in CI users.
- To compare tone recognition performance with CI alone versus CI plus hearing aid (HA) in quiet and noise.
Main Methods:
- Twenty native Mandarin-speaking bimodal CI users (ages 16-49) participated.
- Lexical tone recognition was assessed using electric stimulation (CI only) and bimodal stimulation (CI + HA).
- Performance was measured in quiet and noise (SNR +5 dB), analyzing recognition and confusion rates for four Mandarin tones.
Main Results:
- Bimodal stimulation (CI + HA) significantly improved mean tone recognition from 84.1% to 92.1% in quiet and 57.9% to 73.1% in noise, compared to CI alone.
- The bimodal advantage was more pronounced in noise (+15.2 points) than in quiet (+8 points).
- Tone confusions between T2 and T3 were most common; T4 was often misclassified as T3 in noise.
Conclusions:
- Bimodal stimulation with CI + HA significantly enhances Mandarin lexical tone recognition in CI users.
- The auditory benefit of bimodal stimulation for tone perception is greater in challenging (noisy) listening conditions.
- No significant correlation was found between bimodal benefits and contralateral ear hearing thresholds at 0.25 kHz.
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