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Lopez-Poveda EA, Eustaquio-Martín A, Fumero MJ, Gorospe JM, Polo López R, Gutiérrez Revilla MA, Schatzer R, Nopp P, Stohl JS. Speech-in-Noise Recognition With More Realistic Implementations of a Binaural Cochlear-Implant Sound Coding Strategy Inspired by the Medial Olivocochlear Reflex. Ear Hear 2021; 41:1492-1510. [PMID: 33136626 PMCID: PMC7722463 DOI: 10.1097/aud.0000000000000880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2019] [Accepted: 03/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Cochlear implant (CI) users continue to struggle understanding speech in noisy environments with current clinical devices. We have previously shown that this outcome can be improved by using binaural sound processors inspired by the medial olivocochlear (MOC) reflex, which involve dynamic (contralaterally controlled) rather than fixed compressive acoustic-to-electric maps. The present study aimed at investigating the potential additional benefits of using more realistic implementations of MOC processing. DESIGN Eight users of bilateral CIs and two users of unilateral CIs participated in the study. Speech reception thresholds (SRTs) for sentences in competition with steady state noise were measured in unilateral and bilateral listening modes. Stimuli were processed through two independently functioning sound processors (one per ear) with fixed compression, the current clinical standard (STD); the originally proposed MOC strategy with fast contralateral control of compression (MOC1); a MOC strategy with slower control of compression (MOC2); and a slower MOC strategy with comparatively greater contralateral inhibition in the lower-frequency than in the higher-frequency channels (MOC3). Performance with the four strategies was compared for multiple simulated spatial configurations of the speech and noise sources. Based on a previously published technical evaluation of these strategies, we hypothesized that SRTs would be overall better (lower) with the MOC3 strategy than with any of the other tested strategies. In addition, we hypothesized that the MOC3 strategy would be advantageous over the STD strategy in listening conditions and spatial configurations where the MOC1 strategy was not. RESULTS In unilateral listening and when the implant ear had the worse acoustic signal-to-noise ratio, the mean SRT was 4 dB worse for the MOC1 than for the STD strategy (as expected), but it became equal or better for the MOC2 or MOC3 strategies than for the STD strategy. In bilateral listening, mean SRTs were 1.6 dB better for the MOC3 strategy than for the STD strategy across all spatial configurations tested, including a condition with speech and noise sources colocated at front where the MOC1 strategy was slightly disadvantageous relative to the STD strategy. All strategies produced significantly better SRTs for spatially separated than for colocated speech and noise sources. A statistically significant binaural advantage (i.e., better mean SRTs across spatial configurations and participants in bilateral than in unilateral listening) was found for the MOC2 and MOC3 strategies but not for the STD or MOC1 strategies. CONCLUSIONS Overall, performance was best with the MOC3 strategy, which maintained the benefits of the originally proposed MOC1 strategy over the STD strategy for spatially separated speech and noise sources and extended those benefits to additional spatial configurations. In addition, the MOC3 strategy provided a significant binaural advantage, which did not occur with the STD or the original MOC1 strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrique A. Lopez-Poveda
- Laboratorio de Audición Computacional y Psicoacústica, Instituto de Neurociencias de Castilla y León, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
- Grupo de Audiología, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
- Departamento de Cirugía, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Almudena Eustaquio-Martín
- Laboratorio de Audición Computacional y Psicoacústica, Instituto de Neurociencias de Castilla y León, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
- Grupo de Audiología, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Milagros J. Fumero
- Laboratorio de Audición Computacional y Psicoacústica, Instituto de Neurociencias de Castilla y León, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
- Grupo de Audiología, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - José M. Gorospe
- Laboratorio de Audición Computacional y Psicoacústica, Instituto de Neurociencias de Castilla y León, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
- Grupo de Audiología, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
- Departamento de Cirugía, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
- Unidad de Foniatría, Logopedia y Audiología, Servicio de Otorrinolaringología, Hospital Universitario de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Rubén Polo López
- Servicio de Otorrinolaringología, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain
| | | | | | | | - Joshua S. Stohl
- North American Research Laboratory, MED-EL Corporation, Durham, North Carolina, USA
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Fumero MJ, Eustaquio-Martín A, Gorospe JM, Polo López R, Gutiérrez Revilla MA, Lassaletta L, Schatzer R, Nopp P, Stohl JS, Lopez-Poveda EA. A state-of-the-art implementation of a binaural cochlear-implant sound coding strategy inspired by the medial olivocochlear reflex. Hear Res 2021; 409:108320. [PMID: 34348202 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2021.108320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2021] [Revised: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Cochlear implant (CI) users find it hard and effortful to understand speech in noise with current devices. Binaural CI sound processing inspired by the contralateral medial olivocochlear (MOC) reflex (an approach termed the 'MOC strategy') can improve speech-in-noise recognition for CI users. All reported evaluations of this strategy, however, disregarded automatic gain control (AGC) and fine-structure (FS) processing, two standard features in some current CI devices. To better assess the potential of implementing the MOC strategy in contemporary CIs, here, we compare intelligibility with and without MOC processing in combination with linked AGC and FS processing. Speech reception thresholds (SRTs) were compared for an FS and a MOC-FS strategy for sentences in steady and fluctuating noises, for various speech levels, in bilateral and unilateral listening modes, and for multiple spatial configurations of the speech and noise sources. Word recall scores and verbal response times in a word recognition test (two proxies for listening effort) were also compared for the two strategies in quiet and in steady noise at 5 dB signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and the individual SRT. In steady noise, mean SRTs were always equal or better with the MOC-FS than with the standard FS strategy, both in bilateral (the mean and largest improvement across spatial configurations and speech levels were 0.8 and 2.2 dB, respectively) and unilateral listening (mean and largest improvement of 1.7 and 2.1 dB, respectively). In fluctuating noise and in bilateral listening, SRTs were equal for the two strategies. Word recall scores and verbal response times were not significantly affected by the test SNR or the processing strategy. Results show that MOC processing can be combined with linked AGC and FS processing. Compared to using FS processing alone, combined MOC-FS processing can improve speech intelligibility in noise without affecting word recall scores or verbal response times.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milagros J Fumero
- Instituto de Neurociencias de Castilla y León, Universidad de Salamanca, Calle Pintor Fernando Gallego 1, Salamanca 37007, Spain.; Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca, Universidad de Salamanca Salamanca 37007 Spain
| | - Almudena Eustaquio-Martín
- Instituto de Neurociencias de Castilla y León, Universidad de Salamanca, Calle Pintor Fernando Gallego 1, Salamanca 37007, Spain.; Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca, Universidad de Salamanca Salamanca 37007 Spain
| | - José M Gorospe
- Instituto de Neurociencias de Castilla y León, Universidad de Salamanca, Calle Pintor Fernando Gallego 1, Salamanca 37007, Spain.; Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca, Universidad de Salamanca Salamanca 37007 Spain; Servicio de Otorrinolaringología, Hospital Universitario de Salamanca, Salamanca 37007 Spain
| | - Rubén Polo López
- Servicio de Otorrinolaringología, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Madrid 28034 Spain
| | | | - Luis Lassaletta
- Servicio de Otorrinolaringología, Hospital Universitario La Paz, Madrid 28046 Spain; IdiPAZ Research Institute, Madrid, Spain; Biomedical Research Networking Centre on Rare Diseases (CIBERER-U761), Institute of Health Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | | | | | - Joshua S Stohl
- North American Research Laboratory, MED-EL Corporation, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Enrique A Lopez-Poveda
- Instituto de Neurociencias de Castilla y León, Universidad de Salamanca, Calle Pintor Fernando Gallego 1, Salamanca 37007, Spain.; Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca, Universidad de Salamanca Salamanca 37007 Spain; Departamento de Cirugía, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca 37007 Spain.
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Lopez-Poveda EA, Eustaquio-Martín A, Fumero MJ, Stohl JS, Schatzer R, Nopp P, Wolford RD, Gorospe JM, Polo R, Revilla AG, Wilson BS. Lateralization of virtual sound sources with a binaural cochlear-implant sound coding strategy inspired by the medial olivocochlear reflex. Hear Res 2019; 379:103-116. [DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2019.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2018] [Revised: 04/30/2019] [Accepted: 05/17/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Marrufo-Pérez MI, Eustaquio-Martín A, Fumero MJ, Gorospe JM, Polo R, Gutiérrez Revilla A, Lopez-Poveda EA. Adaptation to noise in amplitude modulation detection without the medial olivocochlear reflex. Hear Res 2019; 377:133-141. [DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2019.03.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2018] [Revised: 03/05/2019] [Accepted: 03/19/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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