Speech perception with interaction-compensated simultaneous stimulation and long pulse durations in cochlear implant users.

Speech perception with interaction-compensated simultaneous stimulation and long pulse durations in cochlear implant users.
Hear Res. 2014 Nov 29;
Authors: Schatzer R, Koroleva I, Griessner A, Levin S, Kusovkov V, Yanov Y, Zierhofer C
Abstract
Early multi-channel designs in the history of cochlear implant development were based on a vocoder-type processing of frequency channels and presented bands of compressed analog stimulus waveforms simultaneously on multiple tonotopically arranged electrodes. The realization that the direct summation of electrical fields as a result of simultaneous electrode stimulation exacerbates interactions among the stimulation channels and limits cochlear implant outcome led to the breakthrough in the development of cochlear implants, the continuous interleaved (CIS) sampling coding strategy. By interleaving stimulation pulses across electrodes, CIS activates only a single electrode at each point in time, preventing a direct summation of electrical fields and hence the primary component of channel interactions. In this paper we show that a previously presented approach of simultaneous stimulation with channel interaction compensation (CIC) may also ameliorate the deleterious effects of simultaneous channel interaction on speech perception. In an acute study conducted in eleven experienced MED-EL implant users, configurations involving simultaneous stimulation with CIC and doubled pulse phase durations have...

Source: Hearing Research - November 29, 2014 Category: Audiology Authors: Schatzer R, Koroleva I, Griessner A, Levin S, Kusovkov V, Yanov Y, Zierhofer C Tags: Hear Res Source Type: research