TY - JOUR
T1 - Talker-identification training using simulations of binaurally combined electric and acoustic hearing
T2 - Generalization to speech and emotion recognition
AU - Krull, Vidya
AU - Luo, Xin
AU - Kirk, Karen Iler
N1 - Funding Information:
The data presented in this paper are from the dissertation research conducted by the first author in fulfillment of requirements for the doctoral degree at Purdue University. This research was supported, in part, by the National Institutes of Health (NIDCD Grant Nos. T32 DC000030, R01 DC008875-03, and R03 DC008192-04). We thank Ching-Chih Wu for technical assistance with programming and Larry Humes for feedback on an earlier version of this manuscript.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2012 Acoustical Society of America.
PY - 2012/4
Y1 - 2012/4
N2 - Understanding speech in background noise, talker identification, and vocal emotion recognition are challenging for cochlear implant (CI) users due to poor spectral resolution and limited pitch cues with the CI. Recent studies have shown that bimodal CI users, that is, those CI users who wear a hearing aid (HA) in their non-implanted ear, receive benefit for understanding speech both in quiet and in noise. This study compared the efficacy of talker-identification training in two groups of young normal-hearing adults, listening to either acoustic simulations of unilateral CI or bimodal (CI-HA) hearing. Training resulted in improved identification of talkers for both groups with better overall performance for simulated bimodal hearing. Generalization of learning to sentence and emotion recognition also was assessed in both subject groups. Sentence recognition in quiet and in noise improved for both groups, no matter if the talkers had been heard during training or not. Generalization to improvements in emotion recognition for two unfamiliar talkers also was noted for both groups with the simulated bimodal-hearing group showing better overall emotion-recognition performance. Improvements in sentence recognition were retained a month after training in both groups. These results have potential implications for aural rehabilitation of conventional and bimodal CI users.
AB - Understanding speech in background noise, talker identification, and vocal emotion recognition are challenging for cochlear implant (CI) users due to poor spectral resolution and limited pitch cues with the CI. Recent studies have shown that bimodal CI users, that is, those CI users who wear a hearing aid (HA) in their non-implanted ear, receive benefit for understanding speech both in quiet and in noise. This study compared the efficacy of talker-identification training in two groups of young normal-hearing adults, listening to either acoustic simulations of unilateral CI or bimodal (CI-HA) hearing. Training resulted in improved identification of talkers for both groups with better overall performance for simulated bimodal hearing. Generalization of learning to sentence and emotion recognition also was assessed in both subject groups. Sentence recognition in quiet and in noise improved for both groups, no matter if the talkers had been heard during training or not. Generalization to improvements in emotion recognition for two unfamiliar talkers also was noted for both groups with the simulated bimodal-hearing group showing better overall emotion-recognition performance. Improvements in sentence recognition were retained a month after training in both groups. These results have potential implications for aural rehabilitation of conventional and bimodal CI users.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84863089060&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84863089060&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1121/1.3688533
DO - 10.1121/1.3688533
M3 - Article
C2 - 22501080
AN - SCOPUS:84863089060
SN - 0001-4966
VL - 131
SP - 3069
EP - 3078
JO - Journal of the Acoustical Society of America
JF - Journal of the Acoustical Society of America
IS - 4
ER -