title: Binaural fusion and listening effort in children who use bilateral cochlear implants: a psychoacoustic and pupillometric study.
abstract: Bilateral cochlear implants aim to provide hearing to both ears for children who are deaf and promote binaural/spatial hearing. Benefits are limited by mismatched devices and unilaterally-driven development which could compromise the normal integration of left and right ear input. We thus asked whether children hear a fused image (ie. 1 vs 2 sounds) from their bilateral implants and if this "binaural fusion" reduces listening effort. Binaural fusion was assessed by asking 25 deaf children with cochlear implants and 24 peers with normal hearing whether they heard one or two sounds when listening to bilaterally presented acoustic click-trains/electric pulses (250 Hz trains of 36 ms presented at 1 Hz). Reaction times and pupillary changes were recorded simultaneously to measure listening effort. Bilaterally implanted children heard one image of bilateral input less frequently than normal hearing peers, particularly when intensity levels on each side were balanced. Binaural fusion declined as brainstem asymmetries increased and age at implantation decreased. Children implanted later had access to acoustic input prior to implantation due to progressive deterioration of hearing. Increases in both pupil diameter and reaction time occurred as perception of binaural fusion decreased. Results indicate that, without binaural level cues, children have difficulty fusing input from their bilateral implants to perceive one sound which costs them increased listening effort. Brainstem asymmetries exacerbate this issue. By contrast, later implantation, reflecting longer access to bilateral acoustic hearing, may have supported development of auditory pathways underlying binaural fusion. Improved integration of bilateral cochlear implant signals for children is required to improve their binaural hearing.
authors: College of Medicine, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI, United States of America; Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Otolaryngology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors: Morrison M
authors: MM
authors: Steel
authors: Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Otolaryngology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors: Blake C
authors: BC
authors: Papsin
authors: Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Otolaryngology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Communication Disorders, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors: Karen A
authors: KA
authors: Gordon
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology; D000293:Adolescent; D001306:Auditory Pathways / Q000502:physiology*; D001307:Auditory Perception / Q000502:physiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003054:Cochlear Implants / Q000523:psychology*; D003463:Cues; D003638:Deafness / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D004423:Ear / Q000503:physiopathology; D004558:Electric Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D006309:Hearing / Q000502:physiology*; D006312:Hearing Loss, Bilateral / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D019986:Persons with Hearing Disabilities / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D011571:Psychoacoustics; D013017:Sound Localization / Q000502:physiology; D013067:Speech Perception / Q000502:physiology