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J Am Acad Audiol 2021; 32(04): 219-228
DOI: 10.1055/s-0041-1722990
Research Article

Testing Speech Perception with Cochlear Implants Through Digital Audio Streaming in a Virtual Sound Booth: A Feasibility Study

Chen Chen
1   Advanced Bionics, LLC, Valencia, California
,
Amy L. Stein
1   Advanced Bionics, LLC, Valencia, California
,
Michelle L. Hughes
2   Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska
,
Hayley R. Morris
1   Advanced Bionics, LLC, Valencia, California
3   Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
,
Leonid M. Litvak
1   Advanced Bionics, LLC, Valencia, California
,
Daniel M. Zeitler
4   Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Listen for Life Center, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, Washington
› Author Affiliations Funding This study was funded by Advanced Bionics, LLC.
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Abstract

Objective For patients who have received cochlear implants (CIs), speech-perception testing requires specialized equipment. This limits locations where these services can be provided, which can introduce barriers for provision of care. Providing speech test stimuli directly to the CI via wireless digital audio streaming (DAS) or wired direct audio input (DAI) allows for testing without the need for a sound booth (SB). A few studies have investigated the use of DAI for testing speech perception in CIs, but none have evaluated DAS. The goal of this study was to compare speech perception testing in CI users via DAS versus a traditional SB to determine if differences exist between the two presentation modes. We also sought to determine whether pre-processing the DAS signal with room acoustics (reverberation and noise floor) to emulate the SB environment would affect performance differences between the SB and DAS.

Design In Experiment 1, speech perception was measured for monosyllabic words in quiet and sentences in quiet and in noise. Scores were obtained in a SB and compared to those obtained via DAS with unprocessed speech (DAS-U) for 11 adult CI users (12 ears). In Experiment 2, speech perception was measured for sentences in noise, where both the speech and noise stimuli were pre-processed to emulate the SB environment. Scores were obtained for 11 adult CI users (12 ears) in the SB, via DAS-U, and via DAS with the processed speech (DAS-P).

Results For Experiment 1, there was no significant difference between SB and DAS-U conditions for words or sentences in quiet. However, DAS-U scores were significantly better than SB scores for sentences in noise. For Experiment 2, there was no significant difference between the SB and DAS-P conditions. Similar to Experiment 1, DAS-U scores were significantly better than SB or DAS-P scores.

Conclusions By pre-processing the test materials to emulate the noise and reverberation characteristics of a traditional SB, we can account for differences in speech-perception scores between those obtained via DAS and in a SB.

Keywords

cochlear implant - direct audio input - speech perception - wireless streaming - sound booth


Publication History

Received: 29 May 2020

Accepted: 25 September 2020

Article published online:
20 May 2021

© 2021. American Academy of Audiology. This article is published by Thieme.

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