Spatial release from masking in children with normal hearing and with bilateral cochlear implants: Effect of interferer asymmetry

• Published in: The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 2012-07, Vol.132 (1), p.380-391
• Main Authors: MISURELLI, Sara M, LITOVSKY, Ruth Y
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acoustic Stimulation; Adult; Audition; Auditory Threshold - physiology; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child, Preschool; Cochlear Implants; Diseases of the ear; Ent and stomatology; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hearing Loss - physiopathology; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Perception; Perceptual Masking - physiology; Psychological Acoustics; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Radiotherapy. Instrumental treatment. Physiotherapy. Reeducation. Rehabilitation, orthophony, crenotherapy. Diet therapy and various other treatments (general aspects); Signal-To-Noise Ratio; Sound Localization - physiology; Speech Perception - physiology
• ISSN: 0001-4966; 1520-8524
• DOI: 10.1121/1.4725760

Spatial release from masking (SRM) was measured in groups of children with bilateral cochlear implants (BiCIs, average ages 6.0 and 7.9 yr) and with normal hearing (NH, average ages 5.0 and 7.8 yr). Speech reception thresholds (SRTs) were measured for target speech in front (0°), and interferers in front, distributed asymmetrically toward the right (+90°/+90°) or distributed symmetrically toward the right and left (+90°/-90°). In the asymmetrical condition both monaural "better ear" and binaural cues are available. In the symmetrical condition, listeners rely heavily on binaural cues to segregate sources. SRM was computed as the difference between SRTs in the front condition and SRTs in either the asymmetrical or symmetrical conditions. Results showed that asymmetrical SRM was smaller in BiCI users than NH children. Furthermore, NH children showed symmetrical SRM, suggesting they are able to use binaural cues for source segregation, whereas children with BiCIs had minimal or absent symmetrical SRM. These findings suggest that children who receive BiCIs can segregate speech from noise under conditions that maximize monaural better ear cues. Limitations in the CI devices likely play an important role in limiting SRM. Thus, improvement in spatial hearing abilities in children with BiCIs may require binaural processing strategies.