title: Evidence of across-channel processing for spectral-ripple discrimination in cochlear implant listeners.
abstract: Spectral-ripple discrimination has been used widely for psychoacoustical studies in normal-hearing, hearing-impaired, and cochlear implant listeners. The present study investigated the perceptual mechanism for spectral-ripple discrimination in cochlear implant listeners. The main goal of this study was to determine whether cochlear implant listeners use a local intensity cue or global spectral shape for spectral-ripple discrimination. The effect of electrode separation on spectral-ripple discrimination was also evaluated. Results showed that it is highly unlikely that cochlear implant listeners depend on a local intensity cue for spectral-ripple discrimination. A phenomenological model of spectral-ripple discrimination, as an "ideal observer," showed that a perceptual mechanism based on discrimination of a single intensity difference cannot account for performance of cochlear implant listeners. Spectral modulation depth and electrode separation were found to significantly affect spectral-ripple discrimination. The evidence supports the hypothesis that spectral-ripple discrimination involves integrating information from multiple channels.
authors.affiliation: Virginia Merrill Bloedel Hearing Research Center, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA. jhwon@uw.edu
authors.forename: Jong Ho
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Won
authors.forename: Gary L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Ward R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Drennan
authors.forename: Elyse M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Jameyson
authors.forename: Jay T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Rubinstein
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001299:Audiometry; D001309:Auditory Threshold; D019929:Cochlear Implantation / Q000295:instrumentation*; D003054:Cochlear Implants; D012048:Correction of Hearing Impairment / Q000523:psychology; D003463:Cues; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D019986:Persons with Hearing Disabilities / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D011571:Psychoacoustics; D021641:Recognition, Psychology; D013018:Sound Spectrography; D013067:Speech Perception; D013997:Time Factors