Impact of Microphone Positioning on Auditory Performance in Cochlear Implant Users
Impact of Microphone Positioning on Auditory Performance in Cochlear Implant Users
The construction of our auditory space requires several prerequisites, including localization abilities in 3D (azimuth, elevation and distance). These abilities rely on the proper development and functionality of the auditory system to extract various acoustic cues from our environment. Extraction and analysis of these auditory cues are based on the synchronous use of ears, called binaurality. Other natural behaviours are useful to precisely determine the location of a sound source: visual information and head movements.
The slightest anatomical-functional change (e.g. unilateral hearing loss, malformation of the pinna) can disturb spatial hearing abilities. Many patients with hearing loss are fitted with a hearing aid (HA) or a cochlear implant (CI) to ensure the best speech understanding. However, this auditory rehabilitation remains insufficient to restore a good perception of spatial hearing. One of the key point to improve sound localization seems to be microphone positioning on hearing aids. Several questions remain on the optimal microphone positioning.
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