Using vibrotactile stimulation to improve speech-in-noise performance for cochlear implant users

Bin Afif, Ahmed Aboud O., Perry, Samuel W., Lineton, Ben and Fletcher, Mark (2019) Using vibrotactile stimulation to improve speech-in-noise performance for cochlear implant users. In British Society of Audiology Basic Auditory Science. British Society of Audiology..

Abstract

Cochlear implant (CI) users often find understanding speech-in-noise to be one of the most challenging listening tasks. Delivering certain speech cues (e.g., fundamental frequency [F0] and amplitude envelope) via vibrotactile stimulation has been found to improve speech perception in noise (Huang et al. 2017; Fletcher et al. 2019). Brown and Bacon (2009) found that F0, amplitude envelope and voicing cues significantly enhance the speech-in-noise performance of simulated CI users when presented acoustically. However, voicing cues were found to provide slightly less benefit. The current study aims to evaluate which speech cues are most effective for enhancing speech-in-noise performance when delivered through vibrotactile stimulation on the wrists. Each participant in this study was trained for 90 minutes in each of the following conditions: voicing, amplitude envelope, F0, and without vibrotactile cues. Preliminary results from this study will be presented, and we expect to observe results similar to those of previous studies. It is hoped study’s finding will further clarify our understanding regarding the most useful vibrotactile cues. Ultimately, the goal is to integrate such cues in an inexpensive and non-invasive device to improve speech-in-noise performance of CI users.

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Contributors

Author: Ben Lineton

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