title: Effect of a competing instrument on melodic contour identification by cochlear implant users.
abstract: Cochlear implant (CI) users have limited access to fundamental frequency (F0) and timbre cues, which are needed to segregate competing voices and/or musical instruments. In the present study, CI users' melodic contour identification was measured for three target instruments in the presence of a masker instrument; the F0 of the masker was varied relative to the target instruments. Mean CI performance significantly declined in the presence of the masker, while mean normal-hearing performance was largely unaffected. However, the most musically experienced CI users were able to make use of timbre and F0 differences between instruments.
authors.affiliation: Department of Communication and Auditory Neuroscience, House Ear Institute, Los Angeles, California 90057, USA. jgalvin@hei.org
authors.forename: John J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Galvin
authors.forename: Qian-Jie
authors.initials: QJ
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Sandra I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Oba
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001307:Auditory Perception; D003054:Cochlear Implants; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009146:Music; D010470:Perceptual Masking; D010898:Pitch Perception; D021641:Recognition, Psychology; D014831:Voice