The Full Story
Gamified Indexical Training
The project assessed the feasibility and the effectiveness of a self-designed gamified remote training protocol as a rehabilitation method primarily for enhancing indexical processing abilities in adult cochlear implantation users. I delivered a remote gamified training protocol piloted by over 20 CI users and normal hearing subjects for publication
(2024 Summer - Present)
Cochlear Implantation and Cognition Lab
In Cochlear Implant Cognition and Communication Lab led by Dr. Aaron Moberly and Dr. Terrin Tamati in Vanderbilt University Medical Center, our aim is predicting cochlear implant outcomes prior to surgery, along with exploring the auditory and social experiences of adults receiving cochlear implants.
Background
- Cochlear implants (CIs) are medical devices for restoring hearing in adults with moderate-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss.
- CIs convert sound into electrical signals and due to limitations of electrical hearing, CI users are less sensitive to subtle indexical cues, such as accent and dialect, resulting in poorer performance in regional and foreign accent categorization and discrimination.
- Limitations in indexical processing may contribute to real-world communication difficulties.
- Despite the supporting evidence in the literature, there is no established targeted protocol for enhancing real world communication in CI users.
- Few researchers are utilizing gamified protocols for clinical training, despite their benefits being well established.
Research Questions
1. What is the associated effects of indexical processing training on speech understanding and real-world functioning in adult CI users?
2. What is the feasibility and effectiveness of game-based remote training as a rehabilitation method for enhancing accent differentiation abilities in adult cochlear implantation users?
3. How can digital innovation modify the way researchers think about experimental design? What are the advantages of gamified training/therapy over tradition cognitive trainings?
Significance
The study aims at providing a detailed explanation of the conceptual and technological approach for building an intelligent tutoring system for indexical processing rehabilitation. The approach allows audiologists to easily track and predict the learning trajectory of each CI users using a digital platform. The significance of this research project lies in its potential to develop a feasible form of rehabilitation tool that can improve indexical processing abilities for adult CI users. This project additionally aims to establish a foundation for developing more detailed protocols in future studies.
Future Research Interest
- Examining the long-term effects of adaptive and game-based auditory training in the rehabilitation process of cochlear implant users versus traditional rehabilitation techniques would be very valuable.
- Investigate the comparative study among game-based training, algorithm based training and neural network-based training.
