Understanding speech with an auditory prosthesis

 

Dr. Ginger Stickney

Department of Otolaryngology, University of California, Irvine

 

 

The speech perception abilities of listeners with auditory prostheses have improved dramatically over the past two decades.  This is the result of advances in technology and, more importantly, a better understanding of the functioning of the auditory system.  Current auditory prostheses allow most users to attain high levels of speech comprehension in relative silence, which is not a standard situation. More complex listening conditions, which include background noise, continue to remain a challenge.  This talk will address factors contributing to the poor speech perception abilities of cochlear implant listeners when speech is presented in the presence of other competing speech sounds.  Additional work addressing the interplay between speech perception and high-level processing systems involved in language and learning will be discussed.  This important area of research has often been neglected in this field due in part to its complexity.  However, addressing issues such as these will not only result in more effective techniques in rehabilitation, but may also provide a better understanding of the interactions between higher and lower levels of processing in sensory perception. 

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