The aim of this project is to better understand the source of the “bimodal benefit” for music sound quality with combined acoustic and electric hearing. (Co-PIs: Galvin, Landsberger) 

While speech communication is generally good with cochlear implants, music perception and sound quality are generally poor. Despite this poor music quality with the cochlear implant, singlesided deaf cochlear implant users (normal hearing in one ear, cochlear implant in the other ear) often prefer to listen to music with the cochlear implant on. The aim of this project is to better understand the source of this “bimodal benefit” for music sound quality. By controlling the spectral and temporal information to the implanted ear, we can better understand what cues contribute to music sound quality with combined acoustic and electric listening. Data from this project may inform optimization of cochlear implant signal processing to improve music perception in single-sided deaf as well as bilaterally deaf patients. (Co-PIs: Galvin, Landsberger)

The aim of this project is to better understand how emotional communication is affected by experience-driven plasticity in children and adults. (PI: Chatterjee; Co-Is: Luo, Galvin) 

Pitch cues are important for perception and production of emotional speech. However, pitch cues are poorly represented by and perceived with cochlear implants. Early implantation in childhood may offer some advantage, as children with cochlear implants may better learn cues for emotional speech perception and production with their device. Postlingually deaf cochlear implant users may benefit from previous acoustic hearing experience for production of emotional speech. The aim of this study is to better understand how emotion communication is affected by experience-driven plasticity in children and adults. Data from this project may inform optimization of cochlear implant signal processing as well as rehabilitation strategies to improve emotional communication in pediatric and adult cochlear implant patients. (PI: Chatterjee; Co-Is: Luo, Galvin).

The aim of this project is to better understand factors that limit pitch perception, perception of emotional speech, and perception of music in pediatric cochlear implant users. (PI: Reiss; Co-Is: Galvin, Chatterjee) 

The ability to hear pitch in music and spoken emotion is an important aspect of childhood development. Children with cochlear implants often have difficulties with pitch perception, which in turn affects music and emotion recognition. The aim of this study is to better understand factors that limit pitch perception, perception of emotional speech, and perception of music in pediatric cochlear implant users. The project is the start of a new multi-center collaboration to explore the relationship of early access to acoustic or electric hearing to pitch perception. Data from this study may guide optimization of cochlear implant signal processing to improve pitch perception and provide guidelines for cochlear implantation for children who have residual acoustic hearing. (PI: Reiss; Co-Is: Galvin, Chatterjee).

The aim of this project is to better understand factors that contribute to the variability in outcomes with combined acoustic and electric hearing. (PI: Fu; Co-I: Galvin) 

Criteria for cochlear implantation have progressively expanded to include increasingly larger amounts of usable acoustic hearing in the non-implanted ear. The benefit of combined acoustic and electric hearing depends on the extent of acoustic hearing, with more benefit when there is less available acoustic hearing. Bimodal benefits also depend on the speech performance difference and frequency mismatch between the acoustic-hearing and cochlear implant ears. The aim of this project is to better understand factors that contribute to the variability in outcomes with combined acoustic and electric hearing. Data from this study may guide optimization of cochlear implant signal processing to promote better integration of acoustic and electric hearing. (PI: Fu; Co-I: Galvin)

The aim of this project is to better understand how adaptation affects bilateral integration of spectral patterns in simultaneously or sequentially implanted bilateral cochlear implant users. (PI: Fu; Co-I:Galvin)

Brain plasticity is key to the success of the cochlear implant. This plasticity is important for postlingual adult bilateral cochlear implant users, who must adapt to electric stimulation patterns relative to previous acoustic-hearing experience. The trajectory of adaptation differs between simultaneously implanted patients (who adapt with both implants at the same time) and sequentially implanted patients (who first adapt to the first implant, and then to the second implant). The aim of this study is to better understand how adaptation affects bilateral integration of spectral patterns with electric hearing in simultaneously and sequentially implanted bilateral cochlear implant users. Data from this study will provide empirical evidence regarding the advantages for simultaneous over sequential implantation and guide optimization of bilateral cochlear implant signal processing improve outcomes. (PI: Fu; Co-I: Galvin)