Approximately 22 million Americans have a hearing impairment. While hearing devices such as hearing aids (HAs) and cochlear implants (CIs) are successful in improving speech recognition for many hearing-impaired (HI) individuals, there is still significant variability in benefit, and speech recognition in noise remains a problem. One factor that may limit benefit is interference between bilaterally worn hearing devices, whether the devices are bilateral HAs, bilateral CIs, or a unilateral CI worn with a HA in the contralatera ear (bimodal CI+HA). In HI individuals, spectral information is not necessarily matched between ears due to asymmetries introduced by hearing loss and hearing device programming. Thus, unlike normal-hearing (NH) listeners, HI listeners integrate mismatched spectral information between ears, in a process that we can call binaural spectral integration (BSI). Our preliminary studies suggest that BSI adapts to reduce perception of interaural spectral mismatch in HI individuals; binaural fusion is increased so that pitches that differ greatly in frequency between the two ears are still heard as a single percept. However, a side effect of increased binaural fusion is that mismatched spectral information is averaged between ears, which may lead to increased speech perception confusions and worsened frequency discrimination. The long-term goal of this research program is to investigate how BSI differs between HI and NH listeners, and the clinical implications of these differences for rehabilitation. Specifically, in this proposal w will examine 1) differences in binaural fusion between HI and NH listeners, as well as across different device combinations within the HI group: bilateral HAs, bilateral CIs, and bimodal CI+HA; 2) how abnormal BSI affects the perception of tone and speech stimuli; and 3) how BSI changes as children develop, because developing brains may adapt BSI differently than adults. The proposed research will increase our understanding of how one aspect of auditory processing, binaural spectral integration, contributes to difficulties with binaural speech perception in HA and CI users. The results will also indicate whether hearing devices should be programmed differently for children than adults. Finally, the results will build the theoretical framework for future planned studies using frequency-specific device programming and training programs to reduce any detrimental BSI, while maintaining or increasing the benefits of binaural processing for speech perception in quiet and noise.

Public Health Relevance

The proposed research will increase our understanding of how hearing loss and hearing devices such as hearing aids and cochlear implants affect binaural processing of information. The results will guide future rehabilitation approaches using device programming or auditory training programs to reduce binaural interference effects and maximize the benefits of bilateral hearing devices for speech perception in quiet and in noise.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01DC013307-05
Application #
9387431
Study Section
Auditory System Study Section (AUD)
Program Officer
King, Kelly Anne
Project Start
2013-12-01
Project End
2019-11-30
Budget Start
2017-12-01
Budget End
2019-11-30
Support Year
5
Fiscal Year
2018
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Oregon Health and Science University
Department
Otolaryngology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
096997515
City
Portland
State
OR
Country
United States
Zip Code
97239
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Reiss, Lina A J; Fowler, Jennifer R; Hartling, Curtis L et al. (2018) Binaural Pitch Fusion in Bilateral Cochlear Implant Users. Ear Hear 39:390-397
Reiss, Lina A J; Shayman, Corey S; Walker, Emily P et al. (2017) Binaural pitch fusion: Comparison of normal-hearing and hearing-impaired listeners. J Acoust Soc Am 141:1909
Oh, Yonghee; Reiss, Lina A J (2017) Binaural pitch fusion: Pitch averaging and dominance in hearing-impaired listeners with broad fusion. J Acoust Soc Am 142:780
Fowler, Jennifer R; Eggleston, Jessica L; Reavis, Kelly M et al. (2016) Effects of Removing Low-Frequency Electric Information on Speech Perception With Bimodal Hearing. J Speech Lang Hear Res 59:99-109
Reiss, Lina A J; Eggleston, Jessica L; Walker, Emily P et al. (2016) Two Ears Are Not Always Better than One: Mandatory Vowel Fusion Across Spectrally Mismatched Ears in Hearing-Impaired Listeners. J Assoc Res Otolaryngol 17:341-56
Reiss, Lina A J; Ito, Rindy A; Eggleston, Jessica L et al. (2014) Abnormal binaural spectral integration in cochlear implant users. J Assoc Res Otolaryngol 15:235-48