Normal Hearing

In clinical settings, hearing perception is typically assessed using audiometric tests administered in a controlled environment. To date, these tests are administered in silence or in the presence of noise from fixed sources at an arbitrarily predetermined signal-to-noise ratio. These assessment situations are not representative of the functional difficulties encountered by people with hearing loss or Auditory Processing Disorder in their daily lives. In real life, "soundscapes" are diverse. Hearing assessment and rehabilitation should include the child's everyday environments as well as their lifestyle habits. The Immersion 360 System (Virtual reality system) was developed specifically to virtually reproduce complex everyday sound experiences with realistic noise types and sound presentation conditions, enabling the assessment of auditory perception under test conditions similar to those encountered in daily life. Some of the sound environments offered by this innovative system have been standardized for adults. No standards exist for children, and we have limited knowledge regarding the development of speech perception skills in noise during childhood and adolescence. It seems essential to measure the age-related development of speech perception in realistic sound environments in order to establish reference data for children and adolescents. This work will, through functional assessments of the auditory system and linguistic tests (speech perception in noise), provide a better understanding of the functional development of the central auditory system for speech perception in noise. The results collected from normo-hearing individuals in the age groups of interest will provide a clinical baseline for comparison with patients of the same age.

This study will test an experimental Tinnitus Implant System that consists of a cochlear implant, sound processor and programming software. The Tinnitus implant is surgically placed under the skin just behind the ear in the mastoid bone. It has an electrode that extends from the implant into the promontory bone of the cochlea which emits electrical signals that stimulate the auditory nerve. The sound processor is worn behind the ear and powers the implant via the coil. The study will be conducted in adults with moderate to severe chronic tinnitus who have normal hearing to moderately severe hearing loss in the inner ear. The study participants will undergo a series of tests that include evaluations of tinnitus loudness and annoyance, and self-reported questionnaires on their tinnitus and general health.

The main aim of this study is to understand if an experimental vestibular implant system can improve balance performance. The system consists of a vestibular implant combined with a cochlear implant sound processor and programming software. The implant is designed to preserve hearing in the implanted ear. The vestibular implant is surgically placed under the skin just behind the ear in the mastoid bone and has an electrode that stimulates the vestibular nerve. A sound processor is worn behind the ear and powers the implant via the coil. The study will be conducted in adults with bilateral vestibulopathy (BVP) who have normal to severe hearing loss in the inner ear. The study participants will undergo a series of tests that include evaluations of their balance and hearing and self-reported questionnaires on their balance and general health.