Biomedical subjects

Arlene C Neuman

Publications and source records attributed to Arlene C Neuman.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2007

Sound-direction identification with bilateral cochlear implants.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to compare the accuracy of sound-direction identification in the horizontal plane by bilateral cochlear implant users when localization was measured with pink noise and with speech stimuli. DESIGN: Eight adults who were bilateral users of Nucleus 24 Contour devices participated in the study. All had received implants in both ears in a single surgery. Sound-direction identification was measured in a large classroom by using a nine-loudspeaker array. Localization was tested in three listening conditions (bilateral cochlear implants, left cochlear implant, and right cochlear implant), using two different stimuli (a speech stimulus and pink noise bursts) in a repeated-measures design. RESULTS: Sound-direction identification accuracy was significantly better when using two implants than when using a single implant. The mean root-mean-square error was 29 degrees for the bilateral condition, 54 degrees for the left cochlear implant, and 46.5 degrees for the right cochlear implant condition. Unilateral accuracy was similar for right cochlear implant and left cochlear implant performance. Sound-direction identification performance was similar for speech and pink noise stimuli. CONCLUSIONS: The data obtained in this study add to the growing body of evidence that sound-direction identification with bilateral cochlear implants is better than with a single implant. The similarity in localization performance obtained with the speech and pink noise supports the use of either stimulus for measuring sound-direction identification.

Acoustic Stimulation↗

PubMed2004

Performance of directional microphones for hearing aids: real-world versus simulation.

The purpose of this study was to assess the accuracy of clinical and laboratory measures of directional microphone benefit. Three methods of simulating a noisy restaurant listening situation ([1] a multimicrophone/multiloudspeaker simulation, the R-SPACE, [2] a single noise source behind the listener, and [3] a single noise source above the listener) were evaluated and compared to the "live" condition. Performance with three directional microphone systems differing in polar pattern (omnidirectional, supercardioid, and hypercardioid array) and directivity indices (0.34, 4.20, and 7.71) was assessed using a modified version of the Hearing in Noise Test (HINT). The evaluation revealed that the three microphones could be ordered with regard to the benefit obtained using any of the simulation techniques. However, the absolute performance obtained with each microphone type differed among simulations. Only the R-SPACE simulation yielded accurate estimates of the absolute performance of all three microphones in the live condition. Performance in the R-SPACE condition was not significantly different from performance in the "live restaurant" condition. Neither of the single noise source simulations provided accurate predictions of real-world (live) performance for all three microphones.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Central auditory system plasticity and aural rehabilitation of adults.

Until recently, researchers used behavioral measures of identification and discrimination of speech and nonspeech stimuli to assess the effects of auditory deprivation, enhancement, and training. Recent advances in our ability to measure electrical activity in the auditory system in response to sound have made it possible for us to study how changes in auditory input (because of hearing loss, auditory input modification, or training) affect the function of the central auditory system. This article reviews the evidence of changes in the auditory cortex in mature animals and in humans with acquired sensorineural hearing loss as well as changes associated with auditory training in persons with normal hearing. The results of studies that measure psychoacoustic and speech-recognition performance of persons with hearing loss, with and without hearing aids, are interpreted within the framework of our new knowledge about plasticity of the auditory system. Applications of electrophysiologic techniques to hearing aid research and clinical practice are highlighted.

Aging↗