Effects of training on recognition of musical instruments presented through cochlear implant simulations.
BACKGROUND
The simulation of the CI (cochlear implant) signal presents a degraded representation of each musical instrument, which makes recognition difficult.


OBJECTIVE
To examine the efficiency and effectiveness of three types of training on recognition of musical instruments as presented through simulations of the sounds transmitted through a CI.


METHODS
Participants were randomly assigned to one of three training conditions: repeated exposure, feedback, and direct instruction.


METHODS
Sixty-six adults with normal hearing.


METHODS
Each participant completed three training sessions per week, over a five-week time period, in which they listened to the CI simulations of eight different musical instruments.


METHODS
Analyses on percent of instruments identified correctly showed statistically significant differences between recognition accuracy of the three training conditions (p < .01).


RESULTS
those assigned to the direct instruction group showed the greatest improvement over the five-week training period as well as sustained improvement after training. The feedback group achieved the next highest level of recognition accuracy. The repeated exposure group showed modest improvement during the first three-week time period, but no subsequent improvements.


CONCLUSIONS
These results indicate that different types of training are differentially effective with regard to improving recognition of musical instruments presented through a degraded signal, which has practical implications for the auditory rehabilitation of persons who use cochlear implants.
Driscoll
Virginia D
VD
Iowa Cochlear Implant Clinical Research Center, University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics, USA. virginia-driscoll@uiowa.edu
Oleson
Jacob
J
Jiang
Dingfeng
D
Gfeller
Kate
K
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001307:Auditory Perception; D019929:Cochlear Implantation; D003054:Cochlear Implants; D003198:Computer Simulation; D005260:Female; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009146:Music; D013016:Sound; D055815:Young Adult