Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32701730›Full record

ArticleEar and hearing

Pinna-Imitating Microphone Directionality Improves Sound Localization and Discrimination in Bilateral Cochlear Implant Users.

Tim Fischer, Christoph Schmid, Martin Kompis, Georgios Mantokoudis, Marco Caversaccio, Wilhelm Wimmer

Open access · greenAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Ear and hearing. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed
2.0field-weighted citation impact, top 13% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed, 23 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Tim FischerDepartment of ENT, Head and Neck Surgery, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Christoph SchmidDepartment of ENT, Head and Neck Surgery, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Martin KompisDepartment of ENT, Head and Neck Surgery, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Georgios MantokoudisDepartment of ENT, Head and Neck Surgery, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Marco CaversaccioDepartment of ENT, Head and Neck Surgery, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Wilhelm WimmerDepartment of ENT, Head and Neck Surgery, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
University of Bern · CHUniversity Hospital of Bern · CH

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesTo compare the sound-source localization, discrimination, and tracking performance of bilateral cochlear implant users with omnidirectional (OMNI) and pinna-imitating (PI) microphone directionality modes.

designTwelve experienced bilateral cochlear implant users participated in the study. Their audio processors were fitted with two different programs featuring either the OMNI or PI mode. Each subject performed static and dynamic sound field spatial hearing tests in the horizontal plane. The static tests consisted of an absolute sound localization test and a minimum audible angle test, which was measured at eight azimuth directions. Dynamic sound tracking ability was evaluated by the subject correctly indicating the direction of a moving stimulus along two circular paths around the subject.

resultsPI mode led to statistically significant sound localization and discrimination improvements. For static sound localization, the greatest benefit was a reduction in the number of front-back confusions. The front-back confusion rate was reduced from 47% with OMNI mode to 35% with PI mode (p = 0.03). The ability to discriminate sound sources straight to the sides (90° and 270° angle) was only possible with PI mode. The averaged minimum audible angle value for the 90° and 270° angle positions decreased from a 75.5° to a 37.7° angle when PI mode was used (p < 0.001). Furthermore, a non-significant trend towards an improvement in the ability to track moving sound sources was observed for both trajectories tested (p = 0.34 and p = 0.27).

conclusionsOur results demonstrate that PI mode can lead to improved spatial hearing performance in bilateral cochlear implant users, mainly as a consequence of improved front-back discrimination with PI mode.

Indexed as

Cochlear ImplantationCochlear ImplantsHearing AidsSound LocalizationSpeech PerceptionHumans

Identifiers

PMID32701730
PMCPMC7757747
OpenAlexW3044845472

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.