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Vibrotactile stimulation is believed to enhance auditory speech perception, offering potential benefits for cochlear implant (CI) users who may utilize compensatory sensory strategies. Our study advances previous research by directly comparing tactile speech intelligibility enhancements in normal-hearing (NH) and CI participants, using the same paradigm. Moreover, we assessed tactile enhancement considering stimulus non-specific, excitatory effects through an incongruent audio-tactile control condition that did not contain any speech-relevant information. In addition to this incongruent audio-tactile condition, we presented sentences in an auditory only and a congruent audio-tactile condition, with the congruent tactile stimulus providing low-frequency envelope information via a vibrating probe on the index fingertip. The study involved 23 NH listeners and 14 CI users. In both groups, significant tactile enhancements were observed for congruent tactile stimuli (5.3% for NH and 5.4% for CI participants), but not for incongruent tactile stimulation. These findings replicate previously observed tactile enhancement effects. Juxtaposing our study with previous research, the informational content of the tactile stimulus emerges as a modulator of intelligibility: Generally, congruent stimuli enhanced, non-matching tactile stimuli reduced, and neutral stimuli did not change test outcomes. We conclude that the temporal cues provided by congruent vibrotactile stimuli may aid in parsing continuous speech signals into syllables and words, consequently leading to the observed improvements in intelligibility.

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Contains fulltext : 247871.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access)

Contains fulltext : 247871.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access)

In naturalistic situations, sounds are often perceived in conjunction with matching visual impressions. For example, we see and hear the neighbor's dog barking in the garden. Still, there is a good chance that we recognize the neighbor's dog even when we only hear it barking, but do not see it behind the fence. Previous studies with normal-hearing (NH) listeners have shown that the audio-visual presentation of a perceptual object (like an animal) increases the probability to recognize this object later on, even if the repeated presentation of this object occurs in a purely auditory condition. In patients with a cochlear implant (CI), however, the electrical hearing of sounds is impoverished, and the ability to recognize perceptual objects in auditory conditions is significantly limited. It is currently not well understood whether CI users - as NH listeners - show a multisensory facilitation for auditory recognition. The present study used event-related potentials (ERPs) and a continuous recognition paradigm with auditory and audio-visual stimuli to test the prediction that CI users show a benefit from audiovisual perception. Indeed, the congruent audio-visual context resulted in an improved recognition ability of objects in an auditory-only condition, both in the NH listeners and the CI users. The ERPs revealed a groupspecific pattern of voltage topographies and correlations between these ERP maps and the auditory recognition ability, indicating a different processing of congruent audio-visual stimuli in CI users when compared to NH listeners. Taken together, our results point to distinct cortical processing of naturalistic audio-visual objects in CI users and NH listeners, which however allows both groups to improve the recognition ability of these objects in a purely auditory context. Our findings are of relevance for future clinical research since audio-visual perception might also improve the auditory rehabilitation after cochlear implantation.

Contains fulltext : 230601.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)

Objective: Cochlear implants (CIs) provide access to the auditory world for deaf individuals. We investigated whether Cls enforce attentional alterations of auditory cortical processing in post-lingually deafened CI users compared to normal-hearing (NH) controls. Methods: Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded in 40 post-lingually deafened CI users and in a group of 40 NH controls using an auditory three-stimulus oddball task, which included frequent standard tones (Standards) and infrequent deviant tones (Targets), as well as infrequently occurring unique sounds (Novels). Participants were exposed twice to the three-stimulus oddball task, once under the instruction to ignore the stimuli (ignore condition), and once under the instruction to respond to infrequently occurring deviant tones (attend condition). Results: The allocation of attention to auditory oddball stimuli exerted stronger effects on N1 amplitudes at posterior electrodes in response to Standards and to Targets in CI users than in NH controls. Other ERP amplitudes showed similar attentional modulations in both groups (P2 in response to Standards, N2 in response to Targets and Novels, P3 in response to Targets). We also observed a statistical trend for an attenuated attentional modulation of Novelty P3 amplitudes in CI users compared to NH controls. Conclusions: ERP correlates of enhanced CI-mediated auditory attention are confined to the latency range of the auditory NI, suggesting that enhanced attentional modulation during auditory stimulus discrimination occurs primarily in associative auditory cortices of CI users. Significance: The present ERP data support the hypothesis of attentional alterations of auditory cortical processing in CI users. These findings may be of clinical relevance for the CI rehabilitation. (C) 2021 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Contains fulltext : 230601.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)

Contains fulltext : 230601.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)

Objective: Cochlear implants (CIs) provide access to the auditory world for deaf individuals. We investigated whether Cls enforce attentional alterations of auditory cortical processing in post-lingually deafened CI users compared to normal-hearing (NH) controls. Methods: Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded in 40 post-lingually deafened CI users and in a group of 40 NH controls using an auditory three-stimulus oddball task, which included frequent standard tones (Standards) and infrequent deviant tones (Targets), as well as infrequently occurring unique sounds (Novels). Participants were exposed twice to the three-stimulus oddball task, once under the instruction to ignore the stimuli (ignore condition), and once under the instruction to respond to infrequently occurring deviant tones (attend condition). Results: The allocation of attention to auditory oddball stimuli exerted stronger effects on N1 amplitudes at posterior electrodes in response to Standards and to Targets in CI users than in NH controls. Other ERP amplitudes showed similar attentional modulations in both groups (P2 in response to Standards, N2 in response to Targets and Novels, P3 in response to Targets). We also observed a statistical trend for an attenuated attentional modulation of Novelty P3 amplitudes in CI users compared to NH controls. Conclusions: ERP correlates of enhanced CI-mediated auditory attention are confined to the latency range of the auditory NI, suggesting that enhanced attentional modulation during auditory stimulus discrimination occurs primarily in associative auditory cortices of CI users. Significance: The present ERP data support the hypothesis of attentional alterations of auditory cortical processing in CI users. These findings may be of clinical relevance for the CI rehabilitation. (C) 2021 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The function of the cerebral cortex essentially depends on the ability to form functional assemblies across different cortical areas serving different functions. Here we investigated how developmental hearing experience affects functional and effective interareal connectivity in the auditory cortex in an animal model with years-long and complete auditory deprivation (deafness) from birth, the congenitally deaf cat (CDC). Using intracortical multielectrode arrays, neuronal activity of adult hearing controls and CDCs was registered in the primary auditory cortex and the secondary posterior auditory field (PAF). Ongoing activity as well as responses to acoustic stimulation (in adult hearing controls) and electric stimulation applied via cochlear implants (in adult hearing controls and CDCs) were analyzed. As functional connectivity measures pairwise phase consistency and Granger causality were used. While the number of coupled sites was nearly identical between controls and CDCs, a reduced coupling strength between the primary and the higher order field was found in CDCs under auditory stimulation. Such stimulus-related decoupling was particularly pronounced in the alpha band and in top–down direction. Ongoing connectivity did not show such a decoupling. These findings suggest that developmental experience is essential for functional interareal interactions during sensory processing. The outcomes demonstrate that corticocortical couplings, particularly top-down connectivity, are compromised following congenital sensory deprivation.

Intracochlear optical stimulation has been suggested as an alternative approach to hearing prosthetics in recent years. This study investigated the properties of a near infrared laser (NIR) induced optoacoustic effect. Pressure recordings were performed at the external meatus of anaesthetized guinea pigs during intracochlear NIR stimulation. The sound pressure and power spectra were determined. The results were compared to multi unit responses in the inferior colliculus (IC). Additionally, the responses to NIR stimulation were compared to IC responses induced by intracochlear electric stimulation at the same cochlear position to investigate a potentially confounding contribution of direct neural NIR stimulation. The power spectra of the sound recorded at the external meatus (n = 7) had most power at frequencies below 10 kHz and showed little variation for different stimulation sites. The mean spike rates of IC units responding to intracochlear NIR stimulation (n = 222) of 17 animals were significantly correlated with the power of the externally recorded signal at frequencies corresponding to the best frequencies of the IC units. The response strength as well as the sound pressure at the external meatus depended on the pulse peak power of the optical stimulus. The sound pressure recorded at the external meatus reached levels above 70 dB SPL peak equivalent. In hearing animals a cochlear activation apical to the location of the fiber was found. The absence of any NIR responses after pharmacologically deafening and the comparison to electric stimulation at the NIR stimulation site revealed no indication of a confounding direct neural NIR stimulation. Intracochlear optoacoustic stimulation might become useful in combined electro-acoustic stimulation devices in the future.

A surface-based diffeomorphic algorithm to generate 3D coordinate grids in the cortical ribbon is described. In the grid, normal coordinate lines are generated by the diffeomorphic evolution from the grey/white (inner) surface to the grey/csf (outer) surface. Specifically, the cortical ribbon is described by two triangulated surfaces with open boundaries. Conceptually, the inner surface sits on top of the white matter structure and the outer on top of the gray matter. It is assumed that the cortical ribbon consists of cortical columns which are orthogonal to the white matter surface. This might be viewed as a consequence of the development of the columns in the embryo. It is also assumed that the columns are orthogonal to the outer surface so that the resultant vector field is orthogonal to the evolving surface. Then the distance of the normal lines from the vector field such that the inner surface evolves diffeomorphically towards the outer one can be construed as a measure of thickness. Applications are described for the auditory cortices in human adults and cats with normal hearing or hearing loss. The approach offers great potential for cortical morphometry.

There is substantial variability in speech recognition ability across patients with cochlear implants (CIs), auditory brainstem implants (ABIs), and auditory midbrain implants (AMIs). To better understand how this variability is related to central processing differences, the current electroencephalography (EEG) study compared hearing abilities and auditory-cortex activation in patients with electrical stimulation at different sites of the auditory pathway. Three different groups of patients with auditory implants (Hannover Medical School; ABI: n = 6, CI: n = 6; AMI: n = 2) performed a speeded response task and a speech recognition test with auditory, visual, and audio-visual stimuli. Behavioral performance and cortical processing of auditory and audio-visual stimuli were compared between groups. ABI and AMI patients showed prolonged response times on auditory and audio-visual stimuli compared with NH listeners and CI patients. This was confirmed by prolonged N1 latencies and reduced N1 amplitudes in ABI and AMI patients. However, patients with central auditory implants showed a remarkable gain in performance when visual and auditory input was combined, in both speech and non-speech conditions, which was reflected by a strong visual modulation of auditory-cortex activation in these individuals. In sum, the results suggest that the behavioral improvement for audio-visual conditions in central auditory implant patients is based on enhanced audio-visual interactions in the auditory cortex. Their findings may provide important implications for the optimization of electrical stimulation and rehabilitation strategies in patients with central auditory prostheses. (C) 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

There is substantial variability in speech recognition ability across patients with cochlear implants (CIs), auditory brainstem implants (ABIs), and auditory midbrain implants (AMIs). To better understand how this variability is related to central processing differences, the current electroencephalography (EEG) study compared hearing abilities and auditory-cortex activation in patients with electrical stimulation at different sites of the auditory pathway. Three different groups of patients with auditory implants (Hannover Medical School; ABI: n = 6, CI: n = 6; AMI: n = 2) performed a speeded response task and a speech recognition test with auditory, visual, and audio-visual stimuli. Behavioral performance and cortical processing of auditory and audio-visual stimuli were compared between groups. ABI and AMI patients showed prolonged response times on auditory and audio-visual stimuli compared with NH listeners and CI patients. This was confirmed by prolonged N1 latencies and reduced N1 amplitudes in ABI and AMI patients. However, patients with central auditory implants showed a remarkable gain in performance when visual and auditory input was combined, in both speech and non-speech conditions, which was reflected by a strong visual modulation of auditory-cortex activation in these individuals. In sum, the results suggest that the behavioral improvement for audio-visual conditions in central auditory implant patients is based on enhanced audio-visual interactions in the auditory cortex. Their findings may provide important implications for the optimization of electrical stimulation and rehabilitation strategies in patients with central auditory prostheses. (C) 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Single-sided deaf subjects with a cochlear implant (CI) provide the unique opportunity to compare central auditory processing of the electrical input (CI ear) and the acoustic input (normal-hearing, NH, ear) within the same individual. In these individuals, sensory processing differs between their two ears, while cognitive abilities are the same irrespectively of the sensory input. To better understand perceptualcognitive factors modulating speech intelligibility with a CI, this electroencephalography study examined the centralauditory processing of words, the cognitive abilities, and the speech intelligibility in 10 postlingually single-sided deaf CI users. We found lower hit rates and prolonged response times for word classification during an oddball task for the CI ear when compared with the NH ear. Also, event-related potentials reflecting sensory (N1) and higher-order processing (N2/N4) were prolonged for word classification (targets versus nontargets) with the CI ear compared with the NH ear. Our results suggest that speech processing via the CI ear and the NH ear differs both at sensory (N1) and cognitive (N2/N4) processing stages, thereby affecting the behavioral performance for speech discrimination. These results provide objective evidence for cognition to be a key factor for speech perception under adverse listening conditions, such as the degraded speech signal provided from the CI. (C) 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel

Optical cochlea stimulation is under investigation as a potential alternative to conventional electric cochlea implants in treatment of sensorineural hearing loss. If direct optical stimulation of spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) would be feasible, a smaller stimulation volume and, therefore, an improved frequency resolution could be achieved. However, it is unclear whether the mechanism of optical stimulation is based on direct neuronal stimulation or on optoacoustics. Animal studies on hearing vs. deafened guinea pigs already identified the optoacoustic effect as potential mechanism for intra-cochlear optical stimulation. In order to characterize the optoacoustic stimulus more thoroughly the acoustic signal along the beam path of a pulsed laser in water was quantified and compared to the neuronal response properties of hearing guinea pigs stimulated with the same laser parameters. Two pulsed laser systems were used for analyzing the influence of variable pulse duration, pulse energy, pulse peak power and absorption coefficient. Preliminary results of the experiments in water and in vivo suggesta similar dependency of response signals on the applied laser parameters: Both datasets show an onset and offset signal at the beginning and the end of the laser pulse. Further, the resulting signal amplitude depends on the pulse peak power as well as the temporal development of the applied laser pulse. The data indicates the maximum of the first derivative of power as the decisive factor. In conclusion our findings strengthen the hypothesis of optoacoustics as the underlying mechanism for optical stimulation of the cochlea. © SPIE 2016

Single-sided deaf subjects with a cochlear implant (CI) provide the unique opportunity to compare central auditory processing of the electrical input (CI ear) and the acoustic input (normal-hearing, NH, ear) within the same individual. In these individuals, sensory processing differs between their two ears, while cognitive abilities are the same irrespectively of the sensory input. To better understand perceptualcognitive factors modulating speech intelligibility with a CI, this electroencephalography study examined the centralauditory processing of words, the cognitive abilities, and the speech intelligibility in 10 postlingually single-sided deaf CI users. We found lower hit rates and prolonged response times for word classification during an oddball task for the CI ear when compared with the NH ear. Also, event-related potentials reflecting sensory (N1) and higher-order processing (N2/N4) were prolonged for word classification (targets versus nontargets) with the CI ear compared with the NH ear. Our results suggest that speech processing via the CI ear and the NH ear differs both at sensory (N1) and cognitive (N2/N4) processing stages, thereby affecting the behavioral performance for speech discrimination. These results provide objective evidence for cognition to be a key factor for speech perception under adverse listening conditions, such as the degraded speech signal provided from the CI. (C) 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel

Congenital sensory deprivation can lead to reorganization of the deprived cortical regions by another sensory system. Such cross-modal reorganization may either compete with or complement the “original“ inputs to the deprived area after sensory restoration and can thus be either adverse or beneficial for sensory restoration. In congenital deafness, a previous inactivation study documented that supranormal visual behavior was mediated by higher-order auditory fields in congenitally deaf cats (CDCs). However, both the auditory responsiveness of “deaf” higher-order fields and interactions between the reorganized and the original sensory input remain unknown. Here, we studied a higher-order auditory field responsible for the supranormal visual function in CDCs, the auditory dorsal zone (DZ). Hearing cats and visual cortical areas served as a control. Using mapping with microelectrode arrays, we demonstrate spatially scattered visual (cross-modal) responsiveness in the DZ, but show that this did not interfere substantially with robust auditory responsiveness elicited through cochlear implants. Visually responsive and auditory-responsive neurons in the deaf auditory cortex formed two distinct populations that did not show bimodal interactions. Therefore, cross-modal plasticity in the deaf higher-order auditory cortex had limited effects on auditory inputs. The moderate number of scattered cross-modally responsive neurons could be the consequence of exuberant connections formed during development that were not pruned postnatally in deaf cats. Although juvenile brain circuits are modified extensively by experience, the main driving input to the cross-modally (visually) reorganized higher-order auditory cortex remained auditory in congenital deafness.

Cortical development extensively depends on sensory experience. Effects of congenital monaural and binaural deafness on cortical aural dominance and representation of binaural cues were investigated in the present study. We used an animal model that precisely mimics the clinical scenario of unilateral cochlear implantation in an individual with single-sided congenital deafness. Multiunit responses in cortical field A1 to cochlear implant stimulation were studied in normal-hearing cats, bilaterally congenitally deaf cats (CDCs), and unilaterally deaf cats (uCDCs). Binaural deafness reduced cortical responsiveness and decreased response thresholds and dynamic range. In contrast to CDCs, in uCDCs, cortical responsiveness was not reduced, but hemispheric-specific reorganization of aural dominance and binaural interactions were observed. Deafness led to a substantial drop in binaural facilitation in CDCs and uCDCs, demonstrating the inevitable role of experience for a binaural benefit. Sensitivity to interaural time differences was more reduced in uCDCs than in CDCs, particularly at the hemisphere ipsilateral to the hearing ear. Compared with binaural deafness, unilateral hearing prevented nonspecific reduction in cortical responsiveness, but extensively reorganized aural dominance and binaural responses. The deaf ear remained coupled with the cortex in uCDCs, demonstrating a significant difference to deprivation amblyopia in the visual system.

Optical cochlea stimulation is under investigation as a potential alternative to conventional electric cochlea implants in treatment of sensorineural hearing loss. If direct optical stimulation of spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) would be feasible, a smaller stimulation volume and, therefore, an improved frequency resolution could be achieved. However, it is unclear whether the mechanism of optical stimulation is based on direct neuronal stimulation or on optoacoustics. Animal studies on hearing vs. deafened guinea pigs already identified the optoacoustic effect as potential mechanism for intra-cochlear optical stimulation. In order to characterize the optoacoustic stimulus more thoroughly the acoustic signal along the beam path of a pulsed laser in water was quantified and compared to the neuronal response properties of hearing guinea pigs stimulated with the same laser parameters. Two pulsed laser systems were used for analyzing the influence of variable pulse duration, pulse energy, pulse peak power and absorption coefficient. Preliminary results of the experiments in water and in vivo suggesta similar dependency of response signals on the applied laser parameters: Both datasets show an onset and offset signal at the beginning and the end of the laser pulse. Further, the resulting signal amplitude depends on the pulse peak power as well as the temporal development of the applied laser pulse. The data indicates the maximum of the first derivative of power as the decisive factor. In conclusion our findings strengthen the hypothesis of optoacoustics as the underlying mechanism for optical stimulation of the cochlea. © SPIE 2016

Inserimento abstract

Inserimento abstract

The present study investigates the hemispheric contributions of neuronal reorganization following early single-sided hearing (unilateral deafness). The experiments were performed on ten cats from our colony of deaf white cats. Two were identified in early hearing screening as unilaterally congenitally deaf. The remaining eight were bilaterally congenitally deaf, unilaterally implanted at different ages with a cochlear implant. Implanted animals were chronically stimulated using a single-channel portable signal processor for two to five months. Microelectrode recordings were performed at the primary auditory cortex under stimulation at the hearing and deaf ear with bilateral cochlear implants. Local field potentials (LFPs) were compared at the cortex ipsilateral and contralateral to the hearing ear. The focus of the study was on the morphology and the onset latency of the LFPs. With respect to morphology of LFPs, pronounced hemisphere-specific effects were observed. Morphology of amplitude-normalized LFPs for stimulation of the deaf and the hearing ear was similar for responses recorded at the same hemisphere. However, when comparisons were performed between the hemispheres, the morphology was more dissimilar even though the same ear was stimulated. This demonstrates hemispheric specificity of some cortical adaptations irrespective of the ear stimulated. The results suggest a specific adaptation process at the hemisphere ipsilateral to the hearing ear, involving specific (down-regulated inhibitory) mechanisms not found in the contralateral hemisphere. Finally, onset latencies revealed that the sensitive period for the cortex ipsilateral to the hearing ear is shorter than that for the contralateral cortex. Unilateral hearing experience leads to a functionally-asymmetric brain with different neuronal reorganizations and different sensitive periods involved.

The caption of Figure 1 in the paper at doi:10.1155/2012/182767 has to be corrected as shown here. Also, should be corrected as follows: J. Tillein, S. Heid, E. Lang, R. Hartmann, and A. kral, “Development of brainstem-evoked responses in congenital auditory deprivation,” Neural Plasticity, vol. 2012, Article ID 182767, 11 Pages, 2012. s.a. urn:nbn:de:hebis:30:3-267673

To compare the development of the auditory system in hearing and completely acoustically deprived animals, naive congenitally deaf white cats (CDCs) and hearing controls (HCs) were investigated at different developmental stages from birth till adulthood. The CDCs had no hearing experience before the acute experiment. In both groups of animals, responses to cochlear implant stimulation were acutely assessed. Electrically evoked auditory brainstem responses (E-ABRs) were recorded with monopolar stimulation at different current levels. CDCs demonstrated extensive development of E-ABRs, from first signs of responses at postnatal (p.n.) day 3 through appearance of all waves of brainstem response at day 8 p.n. to mature responses around day 90 p.n.. Wave I of E-ABRs could not be distinguished from the artifact in majority of CDCs, whereas in HCs, it was clearly separated from the stimulus artifact. Waves II, III, and IV demonstrated higher thresholds in CDCs, whereas this difference was not found for wave V. Amplitudes of wave III were significantly higher in HCs, whereas wave V amplitudes were significantly higher in CDCs. No differences in latencies were observed between the animal groups. These data demonstrate significant postnatal subcortical development in absence of hearing, and also divergent effects of deafness on early waves II–IV and wave V of the E-ABR.