title: Alpha EEG Frontal Asymmetries during Audiovisual Perception in Cochlear Implant Users. A Study with Bilateral and Unilateral Young Users.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the present study is to investigate the variations of the electroencephalographic (EEG) alpha rhythm in order to measure the appreciation of bilateral and unilateral young cochlear implant users during the observation of a musical cartoon. The cartoon has been modified for the generation of three experimental conditions: one with the original audio, another one with a distorted sound and, finally, a mute version.
  
  
  METHODS
  The EEG data have been recorded during the observation of the cartoons in the three experimental conditions. The frontal alpha EEG imbalance has been calculated as a measure of motivation and pleasantness to be compared across experimental populations and conditions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The EEG frontal imbalance of the alpha rhythm showed significant variations during the perception of the different cartoons. In particular, the pattern of activation of normal-hearing children is very similar to the one elicited by the bilateral implanted patients. On the other hand, results related to the unilateral subjects do not present significant variations of the imbalance index across the three cartoons.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The presented results suggest that the unilateral patients could not appreciate the difference in the audio format as well as bilaterally implanted and normal hearing subjects. The frontal alpha EEG imbalance is a useful tool to detect the differences in the appreciation of audiovisual stimuli in cochlear implant patients.
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Maglione
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Scorpecci
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Malerba
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Marsella
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Giannantonio
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Colosimo
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Babiloni
authors.affiliation: Giovanni Vecchiato, PhD, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy, E-mail: giovanni.vecchiato@uniroma1.it.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vecchiato
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000465:Algorithms; D000513:Alpha Rhythm; D003054:Cochlear Implants; D003638:Deafness / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000379:methods; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D019212:Multimedia; D009146:Music; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Electroencephalography; cochlear implant; frontal asymmetry; young users