Utilizing hearing aid directional microphones and noise reduction algorithms to improve speech understanding and listening preferences for cochlear implant users

The purpose of this study was to investigate if applying hearing aid directional microphones and noise reduction algorithms as preprocessors to cochlear implant speech processors can enhance speech understanding and listening preference of cochlear implant users. Hearing aid preprocessed speech materials were recorded when KEMAR was wearing a pair of nine-channel digital hearing aids and sitting at the center of an eight-speaker array. The hearing aids were programmed to omnidirectional microphone (Om), directional microphone (Din), and directional microphone plus noise reduction algorithms (Dm+NR). Cochlear implant users listened to the hearing aid preprocessed speech materials in sound field to simulate the use of hearing aids as preprocessors to cochlear implants. They repeated the words and ranked their listening preferences of the three experimental conditions. Results indicated that the Dm+NR condition yielded better speech recognition and higher listening preferences than the Dm condition which, in turn, was better than the Om condition (p < 0.01) for cochlear implant users. These results indicate that hearing aid directional microphones and noise reduction algorithms can be used to enhance speech understanding and listening preferences of cochlear implant users. (c) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.