Binaural Cue Sensitivity in Children and Adults With Combined Electric and Acoustic Stimulation
Hearts for Hearing
Summary
There is a rapidly growing population of adult and pediatric cochlear implant (CI) recipients with acoustic hearing preservation in the implanted ear(s) allowing for combined Electric and binaural Acoustic Stimulation (EAS). Despite the rapid technological and surgical advancements that have led to this increased prevalence, there is limited research on EAS outcomes-particularly for pediatric EAS listeners-including the expected trajectory of benefit following EAS fitting and underlying mechanisms driving benefit in EAS users of all ages. Thus, the purpose of this project is to provide a comprehensive description of behavioral and electrophysiologic measures of binaural hearing in adults and children both with normal hearing and EAS users.
Description
Cochlear implantation with minimally traumatic surgical techniques and atraumatic electrode arrays has led to an increasing prevalence of adult and pediatric cochlear implant (CI) recipients with the potential for combined Electric and binaural Acoustic Stimulation (EAS). Many studies have demonstrated that adult EAS users consistently exhibit significant benefits for speech understanding in noise and spatial hearing tasks as compared to a CI paired only with a contralateral HA. We have also demonstrated that sensitivity to interaural time difference (ITD) and interaural level difference (ILD)…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 5+ years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria: * Pediatric EAS: aged 5-17; Adult EAS: aged 18+ years * At least one CI and bilateral mild to profound sensorineural hearing loss with unaided audiometric thresholds ≤ 80 dB HL at 125 and 250 Hz, in both ears. * Willingness to use EAS technology in the implanted ear(s) to be verified via data logging * Nonverbal cognitive abilities within the typical range * No co-morbid diagnoses such as autism, auditory neuropathy, neurological disorder, or general cognitive impairment * Use of spoken English as main mode of communication * For children and adults with normal he…
Interventions
- Behavioralbinaural processing over time
This study will not provide an intervention, but will study the effects of hearing technology on binaural processing for adults and children with bilateral steeply sloping sensorineural hearing loss
- Behavioralbinaural processing over time for children and adults with normal hearing
Adults and children with normal hearing will be studied over time to characterize binaural processing and associated effects on speech perception in complex listening scenarios and spatial hearing abilities.
Location
- Hearts for HearingOklahoma City, Oklahoma