Seminars in Hearing Research at Purdue (SHRP)

Date: Sept 19, 2019 (Thu)

Location: LYLE 1150

Time: 10:30 -- 11:20 am

Speaker:  Kristina DeRoy Milvae, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Associate, Hearing and Speech Sciences, U. Maryland

Title: The role of ear asymmetry in cochlear-implant listening performance and effort

Abstract: Cochlear implants (CIs) are auditory prostheses used to treat hearing losses so severe that hearing aids provide limited benefits. Adults are often implanted in one ear, but bilateral implantation is becoming more common. Bilateral implantation provides an opportunity for two-ear benefits, such as improved speech understanding in noisy environments. However, implantation is often sequential and may result in functional differences across ears (asymmetries), possibly related to differences in effective spectral resolution. Asymmetries may limit binaural benefits and make listening more cognitively demanding or effortful. A series of experiments will be discussed that examine the role of ear asymmetry in binaural performance and effort. Speech recognition was measured with competing speech in paradigms such as dichotic listening. Pupillometry was used as an index of listening effort. By studying both listening performance and the cognitive resources involved, we can gain a more complete understanding of cognitive demands to CI listening than with behavioral measures alone.

Working schedule:

https://purdue.edu/TPAN/hearing/shrp_schedule

The titles and abstracts of the talks will be updated here:

https://purdue.edu/TPAN/hearing/shrp_abstracts