Older adults with mild or no hearing loss make more errors and expend more effort listening to speech. Cochlear implants (CI) restore hearing to deaf patients but with limited fidelity. We hypothesized that patient-reported hearing and health-related quality of life in CI patients may similarly vary according to age. Speech Spatial Qualities (SSQ) of hearing scale and Health Utilities Index Mark III (HUI) questionnaires were administered to 543 unilaterally implanted adults across Europe, South Africa, and South America. Data were acquired before surgery and at 1, 2, and 3 years post-surgery. Data were analyzed using linear mixed models with visit, age group (18–34, 35–44, 45–54, 55–64, and 65+), and side of implant as main factors and adjusted for other covariates. Tinnitus and dizziness prevalence did not vary with age, but older groups had more preoperative hearing. Preoperatively and postoperatively, SSQ scores were significantly higher (Δ0.75–0.82) for those aged <45 compared with those 55+. However, gains in SSQ scores were equivalent across age groups, although postoperative SSQ scores were higher in right-ear implanted subjects. All age groups benefited equally in terms of HUI gain (0.18), with no decrease in scores with age. Overall, younger adults appeared to cope better with a degraded hearing before and after CI, leading to better subjective hearing performance.

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cascade of secondary processes of delayed and amplified injury to the FMN. Release of fatty acids, in particular arachidonic acid, from cell membranes is believed to be one of the most important mechanisms of neuronal cell death following nerve injury. Mechanisms of neuronal injury induced by fatty acid may include reaction of lipid peroxidation. One of the major biologically active products of arachidonic acid peroxidation is 4-hydroxynonenal (HNE). Inhibition of the lipid peroxidation may protect neuronal cell death produced by retrograde degeneration. METHODS: In 40 adult rats, the right facial nerve was avulsed from stylomastoid foramen. Following nerve avulsion, the effects of a regular dose of vitamin E (20g/mL), and high dose of vitamin E (200g/mL) on HNE activity were investigated using immune-histochemistry. FMN motoneurons and glial cells were counted bilaterally in sections stained with cresyl violet. RESULTS: The number of surviving motoneurons in the ipsilateral FMN was significantly greater among regular dose vitamin E-treated rats than nontreated controls or high dose vitamin Etreated rats following nerve avulsion. The peak of gliosis in cases with regular dose-vitamin E treatment was in the first week, and then it was strongly suppressed after 2nd week. Whereas in high dose-vitamin E treated group, the gliosis was suppressed in 1st week but increased progressively after that. CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrates the neuroprotective effect of vitamin E after peripheral facial nerve avulsion. Antioxidants may have therapeutic potential in traumatic facial nerve dysfunction resulting from head injury, ear surgery and parotid gland surgery. SIGNIFICANCE: Antioxidants may have therapeutic potential in traumatic facial nerve dysfunction resulting from head injury, ear surgery and parotid gland surgery.