Psychophysical Performance and Mandarin Tone Recognition in Noise by Cochlear Implant Users

• DOI: 10.1097/aud.0b013e318031512c
• Publication Date: 2007-03-15T07:58:37Z
• Authors: Chaogang Wei; Keli Cao; Xin Jin; Xiaowei Chen; Fan-Gang Zeng
• Keywords: QUIET; Mandarin Chinese; Tone (literature); Two-alternative forced choice

The present study was aimed to examine the relationship between psychophysical performance in temporal and spectral resolution Mandarin tone recognition noise by cochlear-implant (CI) listeners.Seventeen Nucleus-24 implant users, 10 postlingually deafened 7 prelingually deafened, participated experiments. A 3-interval, forced-choice procedure used measure gap detection pure-tone frequency discrimination at 250 4,000 Hz octave steps. 4-alternative quiet noise. Signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) varied from +10 -10 dB. All stimuli were delivered clinical processor via a speaker sound free field. obtained data compared collected normal-hearing control subjects, as well users who performed similar tasks using single-electrode stimulation research interface.Postlingually-deafened CI subjects generally better than prelingually-deafened subjects. average threshold 30 ms with range 4 128 ms. difference limen 100 12 192 Hz, regardless of standard frequency. 80% correct quiet, which dropped 55% dB SNR essentially chance -5 SNR. In comparison, maintained perfect over this range. Only 1,000 significantly correlated but all measures noise.The result suggests that can rely on either or cues perform need both for Future processors extract encode these acoustic achieve perception production.