Graeme Clark Collection

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    Multichannel auditory brainstem implants: an Australian case study [Abstract]
    Hollow, Rod ; COWAN, ROBERT ; BRIGGS, ROBERT ; KAYE, ANDREW ; DOWELL, RICHARD ; Shaw, Stephanie ; Clarke, Graeme M. ( 1996)
    The multichannel Auditory Brainstem Implant (ABI) is an implantable device designed to restore a level of auditory perception in patients with bilateral acoustic neuromas, where the removal of the tumours is expected to result in a total loss of hearing. As with the cochlear implant, the ABI utilises an externally worn speech processor and headset, together with a surgically-placed receiver-stimulator and electrode array. The electrode array, developed through the collaboration of the House Ear Institute in the United States and Cochlear Corporation, consists of eight electrodes on a carrier, which is placed on the surface of the brainstem in the area of the cochlear nucleus.
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    Current trends in speech perception performance in adult cochlear implant patients [Abstract]
    Hollow, Rod ; Plant, Kerrie ; Whitford, Lesley ; Skok, Marisa ; DOWELL, RICHARD ; Clark, Graeme M. ( 1996)
    In 1994, Cochlear Pty. Ltd. (Now Cochlear Limited) released a new speech processor, the Spectra 22, for use with the Nucleus 22-channel cochlear implant. The Spectra 22 speech processor incorporates a new speech processing strategy called SPEAK, which is based upon research conducted by the University of Melbourne. This paper reports post-operative scores on open-set word and sentence materials for adult patients in the Melbourne Cochlear Implant Clinic who have been started up with the Spectra 22 speech processor.
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    Speech perception in people with a severe hearing loss: preliminary results [Abstract]
    Flynn, Mark C. ; Dowell, Richard C. ; Clark, Graeme M. ( 1996)
    Recent improvements in multichannel cochlear implants have led to improved speech perception for people with profound hearing impairments. Given this improvement, it has been suggested that some people with severe hearing impairments would be more successful with a cochlear implant than a hearing aid. Unfortunately little research exists to support the suitability of cochlear implants for these individuals. In order to determine this, a detailed investigation of the aided performance of people with severe hearing losses is being conducted at The University of Melbourne (School of Audiology). Severe hearing loss was defined as a pure tone average of greater than 60dBHL, but no worse that 100dBSPL in the better ear. At present, 15 participants have taken part in this study and their results will be discussed. Each participant took part in a standard audiometric assessment which included an audiogram, AB words, tympanometry with acoustic reflexes and an ABR. Each participant’s hearing aids were assessed to make sure that they were optimally aided. Following the hearing aid evaluation the participants took part in a series of traditional speech perception tests which included 24 consonant recognition, 11 vowel recognition, CNC words, CUNY sentences, and the Connected Speech Test (CSTv2). Other tests of speech perception were conducted which looked at the effects of different types of background noise, amounts of reverberation, rates of speech and amount of available context. The aim of this was to better simulate “real-life” listening conditions. Consequently, a range of results for both traditional assessments of speech perception and simulated listening conditions will be presented and compared.
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    Speech perception for hearing aid users versus cochlear implantees [Abstract]
    Flynn, Mark C. ; Dowell, Richard C. ; Clark, Graeme M. ( 1996)
    Abstract not available due to copyright.
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    Speech perception for children with different levels of residual hearing using the cochlear 22-channel cochlear prosthesis [Abstract[
    Cowan, R. S. C. ; Galvin, K. L. ; Barker, E. J. ; Del Dot, J. ; Sarant, J. Z. ; Dettman, S. ; Hollow, R. ; Herridge, S. ; Rance, G. ; Larratt, M. ; Skok, M. ; Dowell, R. C. ; Pyman, B. ; Gibson, W. P. R. ; Clark, Graeme M. ( 1996)
    Over the past 10 years, since the implantation of the first children with the Nucleus 22-channel cochlear prosthesis in Melbourne, the number of profoundly deaf children using this implant system has rapidly expanded. Longer-term experience with implanted children has led to improvements in paediatric assessment and management. Speech processing strategies have also been improved, resulting in a series of increases in speech perception benefits. Results of comparative studies of Speak and Multipeak speech processing strategies have shown that open-set word and sentence scores for a group of thirteen children evaluated over a two year period showed an advantage with the Speak speech processing strategy. The increases were noted particularly in speech perception in poor signal-to-noise conditions. Analysis has shown that consonant perception was significantly increased, due to an improved place perception. Given current speech perception scores for implanted children, it has been suggested that severely-to-profoundly deaf children currently using hearing aids could in fact benefit more from a cochlear implant. Preliminary investigation of results for children in the Melbourne and Sydney cochlear implant programs has shown that children with higher levels of preoperative residual hearing as a group do score significantly on open-set word and sentence perception tests using the implant alone. In children with lower levels of residual hearing, results were variable across the group.