Influence of Matching the Processing Delays of Cochlear Implant and Hearing Aid Devices for Bimodal Listeners on Speech Recognition in Noise.

Purpose: Cochlear implant (CI) recipients who listen with a hearing aid (HA) in the contralateral ear, known as bimodal listeners, demonstrate individual variability in speech recognition in noise. This variability may be due in part to differences in the processing delays of the CI and HA devices. This study investigated the influence of matching the processing delays of CI and HA devices on masked speech recognition for bimodal listeners.

Benefits of Cochlear Implantation for Older Adults With Asymmetric Hearing Loss.

Objective(s): FDA-approved indications for cochlear implantation include patients with severe-to-profound unilateral hearing loss (UHL) or asymmetric hearing loss (AHL); however, these indications are not covered for Medicare beneficiaries. We assessed the outcomes of cochlear implant (CI) use for older adults with UHL or AHL.

Methods: Eighteen older adults (≥65 years of age at surgery) with UHL/AHL participated in a prospective, longitudinal investigation evaluating outcomes of CI use.

Cochlear Implantation for Unilateral and Asymmetric Hearing Loss: Long-Term Subjective Benefit.

Objectives: Assess the long-term patterns of perceived tinnitus severity and subjective benefit for adult cochlear implant (CI) users with asymmetric or unilateral hearing loss (AHL or UHL).

Methods: Forty adults underwent cochlear implantation as part of a prospective clinical trial assessing the outcomes of CI use in cases of AHL (n = 20) and UHL (n = 20). Subjective measures included the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI), the Speech, Spatial, & Qualities of Hearing Scale (SSQ), and the Abbreviated Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit (APHAB).

Long-Term Binaural Hearing Improvements for Cochlear Implant Users with Asymmetric Hearing Loss.

Objective: To assess long-term binaural hearing abilities for cochlear implant (CI) users with unilateral hearing loss (UHL) or asymmetric hearing loss (AHL).

Methods: A prospective, longitudinal, repeated measures study was completed at a tertiary referral center evaluating adults with UHL or AHL undergoing cochlear implantation. Binaural hearing abilities were assessed with masked speech recognition tasks using AzBio sentences in a 10-talker masker.

Masked Speech Recognition as a Function of Masker Location for Cochlear Implant Users With Single-Sided Deafness.

Purpose: Cochlear implant (CI) recipients with normal or near normal hearing (NH) in the contralateral ear, referred to as single-sided deafness (SSD), experience significantly better speech recognition in noise with their CI than without it, although reported outcomes vary. One possible explanation for differences in outcomes across studies could be differences in the spatial configurations used to assess performance. This study compared speech recognition for different spatial configurations of the target and masker, with test materials used clinically.

Sound Source Localization by Cochlear Implant Recipients with Normal Hearing in the Contralateral Ear: Effects of Spectral Content and Duration of Listening Experience.

Introduction: Cochlear implant (CI) recipients with normal hearing (NH) in the contralateral ear experience a significant improvement in sound source localization when listening with the CI in combination with their NH-ear (CI + NH) as compared to with the NH-ear alone. The improvement in localization is primarily due to sensitivity to interaural level differences (ILDs). Sensitivity to interaural timing differences (ITDs) may be limited by auditory aging, frequency-to-place mismatches, the signal coding strategy, and duration of CI use.

Effect of Protective Face Coverings on Sentence Recognition in Noise for Cochlear Implant Patients.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of talker protective face coverings on sentence recognition in noise for cochlear implant users.

Method: The AzBio sentences were recorded in three conditions: (a) without any face covering (uncovered), (b) with an N95 mask, or (c) with an N95 mask plus face shield. Target sentences were presented at 60 dB SPL, and the 10-talker masker was presented at 50 dB SPL (10 dB signal-to-noise ratio.

Long-Term Improvement in Localization for Cochlear Implant Users with Single-Sided Deafness.

Objectives/hypothesis: To assess whether early, significant improvements in sound source localization observed in cochlear implant (CI) recipients with normal hearing (NH) in the contralateral ear are maintained after 5 years of CI use.

Study Design: Prospective, repeated measures study.

Methods: Participants were recruited from a sample of CI + NH listeners (n = 20) who received their device as part of a prospective clinical trial investigating outcomes of CI use for adult cases of single-sided deafness.

Influence of Cochlear Implant Use on Perceived Listening Effort in Adult and Pediatric Cases of Unilateral and Asymmetric Hearing Loss.

Objective: Assess the influence of cochlear implant (CI) use on the perceived listening effort of adult and pediatric subjects with unilateral hearing loss (UHL) or asymmetric hearing loss (AHL).

Study Design: Prospective cohort.

Setting: Tertiary referral center.

Speech Recognition as a Function of Age and Listening Experience in Adult Cochlear Implant Users.

Objectives/hypothesis: Speech recognition with a cochlear implant (CI) tends to be better for younger adults than older adults. However, older adults may take longer to reach asymptotic performance than younger adults. The present study aimed to characterize speech recognition as a function of age at implantation and listening experience for adult CI users.

Initial Hearing Preservation Is Correlated With Cochlear Duct Length in Fully-inserted Long Flexible Lateral Wall Arrays.

Objectives: To characterize the relationship between cochlear duct length (CDL) and initial hearing preservation among cochlear implant recipients of a fully inserted 31.5 mm flexible lateral wall electrode array.

Study Design: Retrospective review.

Relationship Between Electrocochleography, Angular Insertion Depth, and Cochlear Implant Speech Perception Outcomes.

Objectives: Electrocochleography (ECochG), obtained before the insertion of a cochlear implant (CI) array, provides a measure of residual cochlear function that accounts for a substantial portion of variability in postoperative speech perception outcomes in adults. It is postulated that subsequent surgical factors represent independent sources of variance in outcomes. Prior work has demonstrated a positive correlation between angular insertion depth (AID) of straight arrays and speech perception under the CI-alone condition, with an inverse relationship observed for precurved arrays.

Cochlear Implantation in Cases of Asymmetric Hearing Loss: Subjective Benefit, Word Recognition, and Spatial Hearing.

A prospective clinical trial evaluated the effectiveness of cochlear implantation in adults with asymmetric hearing loss (AHL). Twenty subjects with mild-to-moderate hearing loss in the better ear and moderate-to-profound hearing loss in the poorer ear underwent cochlear implantation of the poorer hearing ear. Subjects were evaluated preoperatively and at 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months post-activation.

Long-Term Influence of Electrode Array Length on Speech Recognition in Cochlear Implant Users.

Objectives/hypothesis: Results from a prospective trial demonstrated better speech recognition for cochlear implant (CI) recipients implanted with a long lateral wall electrode array compared to subjects with a short array after 1 year of listening experience. As short array recipients may require an extended adaptation period, this study investigated whether differences in speech recognition continued through 4 years of CI use.

Study Design: Long-term follow-up of a prospective randomized trial.

MRI surveillance following concurrent cochlear implantation in cases of vestibular schwannoma resection.

Objective: Cochlear nerve preserving translabyrinthine vestibular schwannoma (VS) resection enables concurrent cochlear implantation. Implantation in patients with VS raises important concerns including the ability to undergo postoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) monitoring of residual tumor growth or tumor recurrence, specifically with a retained magnet. We aim to assess the feasibility of MRI monitoring and the impact on image quality with retained cochlear implant (CI) magnets.

Subjective Benefits of Bimodal Listening in Cochlear Implant Recipients with Asymmetric Hearing Loss.

Objective: To investigate the influence of cochlear implant (CI) use on subjective benefits in quality of life in cases of asymmetric hearing loss (AHL).

Study Design: Prospective clinical trial.

Setting: Tertiary academic center.

Low-Frequency Hearing Preservation With Long Electrode Arrays: Inclusion of Unaided Hearing Threshold Assessment in the Postoperative Test Battery.

Purpose The goal of this work was to evaluate the low-frequency hearing preservation of long electrode array cochlear implant (CI) recipients. Method Twenty-five participants presented with an unaided hearing threshold of ≤ 80 dB HL at 125 Hz pre-operatively in the ear to be implanted. Participants were implanted with a long (31.

Low-Frequency Pitch Perception in Cochlear Implant Recipients With Normal Hearing in the Contralateral Ear.

Purpose Three experiments were carried out to evaluate the low-frequency pitch perception of adults with unilateral hearing loss who received a cochlear implant (CI). Method Participants were recruited from a cohort of CI users with unilateral hearing loss and normal hearing in the contralateral ear. First, low-frequency pitch perception was assessed for the 5 most apical electrodes at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after CI activation using an adaptive pitch-matching task.

Residual Cochlear Function in Adults and Children Receiving Cochlear Implants: Correlations With Speech Perception Outcomes.

Objectives: Variability in speech perception outcomes with cochlear implants remains largely unexplained. Recently, electrocochleography, or measurements of cochlear potentials in response to sound, has been used to assess residual cochlear function at the time of implantation. Our objective was to characterize the potentials recorded preimplantation in subjects of all ages, and evaluate the relationship between the responses, including a subjective estimate of neural activity, and speech perception outcomes.

Effects of Cochlear Implantation on Binaural Hearing in Adults With Unilateral Hearing Loss.

A FDA clinical trial was carried out to evaluate the potential benefit of cochlear implant (CI) use for adults with unilateral moderate-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss. Subjects were 20 adults with moderate-to-profound unilateral sensorineural hearing loss and normal or near-normal hearing on the other side. A MED-EL standard electrode was implanted in the impaired ear.

Effect of Cochlear Implantation on Quality of Life in Adults with Unilateral Hearing Loss.

Objective: Patients with moderate-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss in 1 ear and normal hearing in the contralateral ear, known as unilateral hearing loss (UHL) or single-sided deafness (SSD), may experience improved quality of life with the use of a cochlear implant (CI) in the affected ear. Quality of life assessment before and after implantation may reveal changes to aspects of hearing beyond those explicitly evaluated with behavioral measures.

Methods: The present report completed 2 experiments investigating quality of life outcomes in CI recipients with UHL.