Bimodal hearing benefit for speech recognition with competing voice in cochlear implant subject with normal hearing in contralateral ear.
OBJECTIVE
This project assessed electroacoustic benefit for speech recognition with a competing talker.


METHODS
Using a cochlear implant subject with normal hearing in the contralateral ear, the contribution of low-pass and high-pass natural sound to speech recognition was systematically measured.


RESULTS
High-frequency sound did not improve performance, but low-frequency sound did, even when unintelligible and limited to frequencies below 150 Hz.


CONCLUSIONS
The low-frequency sound assists separation of the two talkers, presumably using the fundamental frequency cue. Extrapolating this finding to regular cochlear implant users may suggest that using a hearing aid on the contralateral ear will improve performance, even with limited residual hearing.
South of England Cochlear Implant Centre, Institute of Sound and Vibration Research, University of Southampton, SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom. h.cullington@soton.ac.uk
Helen E
HE
Cullington
Fan-Gang
FG
Zeng
D001302:Audiometry, Speech; D003054:Cochlear Implants; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003463:Cues; D006310:Hearing Aids; D046088:Hearing Loss, Unilateral / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010470:Perceptual Masking; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D013018:Sound Spectrography; D014012:Tinnitus / Q000534:rehabilitation; D014831:Voice