Pitch and Loudness Perception by Cochlear Implant Listeners: Psychophysics and Objective Measures

Pitch and Loudness Perception by Cochlear Implant Listeners: Psychophysics and Objective Measures

Cochlear implants (CIs) have restored some sense of hearing to more than 120 000 people worldwide. While most patients show good scores of speech recognition in quiet, a large majority of them also struggle in more challenging listening situations, such as speech in noise or music. This project aims to understand the basic mechanisms of electrical stimulation of the auditory nerve, in order to identify the important cues that the electrical signal should convey and to possible improve sound perception by CI users.

This study will take place in the ENT department of La Timone hospital in Marseille, where more than 120 adults have been implanted. Our study will comprise several phases, including (1) temporal coding of pitch, (2) spatial coding of pitch, and (3) loudness perception. Eight adult implant users will be recruited for each of these phases.

Inclusion Criteria:

• The adults of more than 18 years old at the beginning of the study without notion of minimal or maximal duration of setting-up(presence).
• The adults WITH cochlear implant listeners .

Exclusion Criteria:

• Presence of intrusive disorders of the personality or mental deficiency. Presence of associated driving disorders. Pregnant or breast-feeding woman.