Restoring binaural and spatial hearing in cochlear implant users

• Published in: The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 2018-03, Vol.143 (3), p.1785-1785
• Main Authors: Litovsky, Ruth, Kan, Alan, Thakkar, Tanvi, Anderson, Sean R., Peng, Z. Ellen, Leclère, Thibaud
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0001-4966; 1520-8524
• DOI: 10.1121/1.5035844

Adults and children who receive bilateral cochlear implants (BiCIs) have the potential to benefit from the integration of inputs arriving at the brain from both ears. Several factors play a key role in determining if patients will demonstrate binaural sensitivity. We are exploring these factors using two experimental approaches. In the first approach, BiCI users receive pulsatile stimulation to specific pairs of electrodes using research processors that synchronize stimulation with fidelity. We vary stimulus parameters such as temporal fine structure and envelope cues, places of stimulation along the cochleae, and number of electrodes to find parameters that maximize sensitivity to interaural differences for each patient. We also investigate the role of the electrode-neuron interface which is affected by numerous factors including neural health. In a second stimulation approach, we use clinical speech processor to deliver binaural stimulation designed specifically for that patient based on their clinical MAP. In these studies, we are using both standard psychophysics and eye gaze paradigms to understand the underlying processing involved in binaural and spatial hearing. This combined approach is enabling us to design multi-channel multi-rate stimulation strategies aimed at restoring binaural sensitivity and preserving speech understanding.