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.
Cullington
Helen E
HE
South of England Cochlear Implant Centre, Institute of Sound and Vibration Research, University of Southampton, SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom. h.cullington@soton.ac.uk
Zeng
Fan-Gang
FG
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