Role of Selective Attention for Sound Modulations in the Listening Effort of Patients With Cochlear Implants

What this Trial Is About

This research aims to understand how selective auditory attention affects listening effort in adults with cochlear implants compared to adults with normal hearing. It focuses on how these individuals perceive sound amplitude modulations, especially in challenging listening situations like cocktail parties where multiple voices mix. The study investigates how well participants can focus on important sound cues despite distracting modulations and how this relates to their effort when recognizing speech. Participants include adults with cochlear implants used for at least six months and healthy volunteers with normal hearing. The study involves psychoacoustic tests where participants detect target sound modulations amid distractions using a forced-choice task. Pupil diameter is measured to assess listening effort during speech perception tests, including recognition of consonants in silence and with interfering speech. Tests are done in a soundproof booth using specialized equipment and implant processors. Participants take part in a session lasting about 1 hour and 40 minutes, including consent, hearing tests, psychoacoustic tasks, and speech recognition with eye-tracking to measure pupil size. The study measures auditory attention capacity and listening effort, analyzing correlations between these factors. Results aim to improve understanding of cochlear implant users' hearing challenges and support development of prognostic tests for listening effort and implant success.

Cochlear Implanted Listening Effort and Hearing Attention