Part o' the machine

 I had another opportunity to participate in research that should help improve understanding of how people with cochlear implants hear.  Not the mechanics - that's well understood, at least by the manufacturers, but how the brain interacts with the device.

This time it wasn't MedEl's research team, though, it was at the University of Minnesota's Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Services.  It was just two and a half hours or so, listening to speech with varying clarity and responding, while a camera recorded the changing dilation of my eyes, which is correlated with how difficult it is to hear and understand - when you focus and try to hear, your eyes dilate.

It didn't take all that long, and I don't mind going to the University campus at all.  I was an undergraduate there, all those years ago, and I love the campus, and I like the atmosphere at a university, all the young people having some of the best years of their lives.  

And then we had an early dinner before driving home.  A lot of time in the car for a fairly brief time being part of the study, but I like having the chance to advance what's known about how people utilize their CIs, whether it's MedEl doing studies to advance their products or the audiologists at the U working to understand how to better serve their patients.  I was really glad to have the chance.

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