Assessment of Spectral and Temporal Resolution in Cochlear Implant Users Using Psychoacoustic Discrimination and Speech Cue Categorization.
Matthew B Winn, Jong Ho Won, Il Joon Moon
PMID 27438871WHAT IT FOUND
In cochlear implant users, better speech frequency-cue categorization went with a non-speech frequency ripple test and word recognition.
Better speech timing-cue categorization also went with word recognition, but a non-speech timing test did not.
Key findings
01Cochlear implant listeners used formant cues in the BA versus DA task less efficiently than normal-hearing listeners.
02Spectral ripple discrimination was related to formant categorization, and formant and voice onset time categorization had the strongest relationships with word recognition.
03Temporal modulation detection at 10 Hz and 100 Hz did not significantly relate to voice onset time categorization and did not predict word recognition.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
Only 19 cochlear implant users were tested, so the findings may not apply to all implant users. The cochlear implant group was older than the normal-hearing group, and the authors say age differences may have partly affected group performance. Cochlear implant processors changed the acoustic stimuli, so the researchers could not fully control the spectral and temporal cues reaching the listener. Word recognition was tested only in cochlear implant users, so normal-hearing word recognition was not available for comparison. Normal-hearing listeners performed near ceiling on speech categorization, which limited relationships within that group. The temporal modulation tests used 10 and 100 Hz, which the authors note may not match the modulation rates relevant to speech. Some cochlear implant listeners showed flat categorization responses and were excluded in sensitivity analyses, although the main effects remained significant.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not treat non-speech temporal modulation detection as a substitute for speech timing ability in cochlear implant users. The 10 Hz and 100 Hz modulation tests did not significantly relate to voice onset time categorization or word recognition.