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Exploring the Use of Interleaved Stimuli to Measure Cochlear-Implant Excitation Patterns.
- Source :
-
Journal of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology : JARO [J Assoc Res Otolaryngol] 2024 Apr; Vol. 25 (2), pp. 201-213. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Mar 08. - Publication Year :
- 2024
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Abstract
- Purpose: Attempts to use current-focussing strategies with cochlear implants (CI) to reduce neural spread-of-excitation have met with only mixed success in human studies, in contrast to promising results in animal studies. Although this discrepancy could stem from between-species anatomical and aetiological differences, the masking experiments used in human studies may be insufficiently sensitive to differences in excitation-pattern width.<br />Methods: We used an interleaved-masking method to measure psychophysical excitation patterns in seven participants with four masker stimulation configurations: monopolar (MP), partial tripolar (pTP), a wider partial tripolar (pTP + 2), and, importantly, a condition (RP + 2) designed to produce a broader excitation pattern than MP. The probe was always in partial-tripolar configuration.<br />Results: We found a significant effect of stimulation configuration on both the amount of on-site masking (mask and probe on same electrode; an indirect indicator of sharpness) and the difference between off-site and on-site masking. Differences were driven solely by RP + 2 producing a broader excitation pattern than the other configurations, whereas monopolar and the two current-focussing configurations did not statistically differ from each other.<br />Conclusion: A method that is sensitive enough to reveal a modest broadening in RP + 2 showed no evidence for sharpening with focussed stimulation. We also showed that although voltage recordings from the implant accurately predicted a broadening of the psychophysical excitation patterns with RP + 2, they wrongly predicted a strong sharpening with pTP + 2. We additionally argue, based on our recent research, that the interleaved-masking method can usefully be applied to non-human species and objective measures of CI excitation patterns.<br /> (© 2024. The Author(s).)
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1438-7573
- Volume :
- 25
- Issue :
- 2
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Journal of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology : JARO
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 38459245
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s10162-024-00937-2