Purpose Evaluating the effectiveness of intraoperative auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) to stimulation by the Vibrant Soundbridge (VSB) active middle ear implant for quantifying the implant's floating mass transducer (FMT) coupling quality. Methods In a diagnostic multicentric study, patients (> 18 years) who received a VSB with different coupling modalities were included. Pre-and postoperative bone conduction thresholds, intraoperative VSB-evoked ABR thresholds (VSB-ABR) using a modified audio processor programmed to preoperative bone conduction thresholds, postoperative vibrogram thresholds, and postoperative VSB-ABR thresholds were measured. Coupling quality was calculated from the difference between the pure tone average at 1000, 2000, and 4000 Hz (3PTA) vibrogram and postoperative 3PTA bone conduction thresholds. Results Twenty-three patients (13 males, 10 females, mean age 56.6 (± 12.5) years) were included in the study. Intraoperative VSB-ABR response thresholds could be obtained in all except one patient where the threshold was > 30 dB nHL. Postoperatively, an insufficient coupling of 36.7 dB was confirmed in this patient. In a Bland-Altman analysis of the intraoperative VSB-ABRs and coupling quality, the limits of agreement exceeded ± 10 dB, i.e., the maximum allowed difference considered as not clinically important but the variation was within the general precision of auditory brainstem responses to predict behavioral thresholds. Five outliers were identified. In two patients, the postoperative VSB-ABR thresholds were in agreement with the coupling quality, indicating a change of coupling before the postoperative testing. Conclusion The response thresholds recorded in this setup have the potential to predict the VSB coupling quality and optimize postoperative audiological results.

Audiological outcome after vibroplasty depends on the coupling efficiency reflected by the vibroplasty threshold.

Objective: The objective of the study was to measure auditory brainstem responses elicited by stimulation via a semi-implantable active middle ear implant with an electromagnetically driven floating mass transducer to quantify the coupling efficacy (=vibroplasty in situ thresholds – bone conduction thresholds) in a patient during a revision surgery. Patients: One patient, reimplanted with an active middle ear implant in a revision surgery. Intervention(s): Diagnostic. Main Outcome Measure(s): Intraoperative auditory brainstem responses evoked by stimulation via an active middle ear implant in a calibrated set-up directly indicating the coupling efficacy magnitude (auditory brainstem response threshold = coupling efficacy), as well as pre- and postoperative bone conduction and vibroplasty in situ thresholds. Results: The intraoperative auditory brainstem response threshold was detected at 0 dB nHL, i.e., the magnitude of coupling efficacy was determined intraoperatively to be 0 dB. The actual postoperative coupling efficacy (=postoperative vibroplasty in situ – postoperative bone conduction thresholds) was –2.5 dB. Conclusions: The coupling efficacy determined intraoperatively was consistent with the postoperative coupling efficacy. The described method seems to be a promising tool to objectively quantify the magnitude of coupling efficacy in active middle ear implant surgeries.

: Auditory evoked potentials (AEP) are highly demanded during the whole process of equipping patients with cochlear implants (CI). They play an essential role in preoperative diagnostics, intraoperative testing, and postoperative monitoring of auditory performance and success. The versatility of AEP's is essentially enhanced by their property to be evokable by acoustic as well as electric stimuli. Thus, the electric responses of the auditory system following acoustic stimulation and recorded by the conventional surface technique as well as by transtympanic derivation from the promontory (Electrocochleography [ECochG]) are used for the quantitative determination of hearing loss and, additionally, electrically evoked compound actions potentials (ECAP) can be recorded with the intracochlear electrodes of the implant just adjacent to the stimulation electrode to check the functional integrity of the device and its coupling to the auditory system. The profile of ECAP thresholds is used as basis for speech processor fitting, the spread of excitation (SOE) allows the identification of electrode mislocations such as array foldover, and recovery functions may serve to optimize stimulus pulse rate. These techniques as well as those relying on scalp surface activity originating in the brainstem or the auditory cortex accompany the CI recipient during its whole life span and they offer valuable insights into functioning and possible adverse effects of the CI for clinical and scientific purposes.

ZusammenfassungHintergrund: Sprachaudiometrische Messungen unter Störschalleinflüssen sind grundlegender Bestandteil bei der Evaluation des Versorgungsergebnisses apparativer Hörversorgungen. Für die adaptive sprachaudiometrische Messung im Störschall bei Cochlea-Implantat(CI)-Trägern:innen existieren bisher noch keine Empfehlungen zur Wahl der Pegelsteuerungsmethode, d. h. entweder die adaptive Pegeländerung des Sprachsignals (S) bei konstantem Störgeräusch (N) oder die adaptive Pegeländerung von N bei konstantem S.Fragestellung: Hat die verwendete Pegelsteuerung beim Oldenburger Satztest (OLSA) einen Einfluss auf die Ergebnisse der monaural gemessenen Sprachverständlichkeitsschwelle (SVS) im Störschall?Material und Methoden: Insgesamt wurden von 50 CI-Trägern:innen die im Rahmen der klinischen Routine erzeugten OLSA-Messreihen im Störgeräusch mit unterschiedlicher Pegelsteuerung sowie sprachaudiometrischen Messungen in Ruhe mittels Freiburger Sprachtest ausgewertet und verglichen.Ergebnisse: In Abhängigkeit von der Pegelsteuerung im OLSA zeigen sich keine signifikanten Unterschiede zwischen den ermittelten Sprachverständlichkeitsschwellen, die kleiner als 5 $$\text{dB}_{\text{S/N}}$$ dB S/N sind. Unter 55 % Einsilberverständlichkeit im FBE wird die SVS im OLSA größer als 5 $$\text{dB}_{\text{S/N}}$$ dB S/N .Schlussfolgerungen: Damit bei den Messungen mit positivem S/N der Summenpegel möglichst konstant gehalten wird bzw. nur wenig ansteigt, empfiehlt sich aus klinisch audiologischer und methodischer Sicht die Durchführung der adaptiven monauralen Sprachverständlichkeitsmessung mit konstantem Sprachsignal bei 65 $$\text{dB}_{\text{SPL}}$$ dB SPL . Zudem ist die Prüfung der monauralen Sprachverständlichkeit im Störschall erst ab einer Einsilberverständlichkeit von mindestens 55  % (65 $$\text{dB}_{\text{SPL}}$$ dB SPL ) sinnvoll.