Cochlear Implant Performance in Candidates With Moderate Hearing Loss Qualifying in Noise

Abstract

Objective: To determine postcochlear implantation performance for patients qualifying on preimplant testing in noise. Study design: Retrospective chart review of cochlear implant recipients. Main Outcome Measure: Performance on word and sentence testing in the implanted ear and bimodal condition were compared between pre-and postimplantation time points. Results: At 2-years postimplantation, CNC testing in quiet in the implanted ear improved from an average percent correct score of 14.0 AE 12.1% to 54.9 AE 14.8% (n ¼ 20, p < 0.0001, d ¼ 3.0) for those qualifying at þ8, and from 23.4 AE 15.6% to 55.5 AE 19.4% (n ¼ 28, p < 0.0001, d ¼ 1.8) for those qualifying at þ5. Likewise, AzBio in quiet in the implanted ear improved from an average % correct score of 19.9 AE 16.0% to 75.1 AE 11.8% (n ¼ 20, p < 0.0001, d ¼ 4.0) for those qualifying at þ8, and from 46.2 AE 21.7% to 74.1 AE 21.3% (n ¼ 27, p < 0.0001, d ¼ 1.4) for those qualify-ing at þ5. CNC and AzBio performance in quiet in the bimodal condition also improved with those qualifying at þ8 and þ5 having similar average scores at 2-years post activation. For those qualifying at þ8, performance improved on CNC and AzBio in the implanted ear in 95% of patients and in the bimodal condition in 89% of patients. The proportion of patients improving on both tests for those qualifying at þ5 at 2 years was 85% in the implanted ear, and 72% in the bimodal condition. Conclusion:The majority of patients qualifying for cochlear implantation with the addition of noise showed improved speech perception in quiet. These data provide useful counseling tools for patients considering cochlear implantation who do not meet traditional eligibility requirements when tested in quiet.

Longitudinal Speech Recognition Changes After Cochlear Implant: Systematic Review and Meta‐analysis

“…Screening by title and abstract excluded 1263 articles. Full‐text review of the remaining articles excluded 259 publications, resulting in 22 articles being included in the final analysis 29–50 . The search process is summarized in Figure 1.…”

American Cochlear Implant Alliance Task Force: Recommendations for Determining Cochlear Implant Candidacy in Adults

“…94,95 Specifically, persons qualifying for CI in only the +5 dB SNR condition can derive significant benefit from their device, but objective outcomes are more variable. [96][97][98] These data provide useful counseling tools for patients considering CI, but consideration of listening needs and goals should be discussed with each candidate on an individualized basis. Varying the SNR represents real-life listening situations 29,96,99 and can be beneficial for determining the SNR at which substantial difficulty is noted.…”

“…Although clinically significant improvements in speech perception in noise can be achieved after implantation for patients qualifying for CI in noise conditions listed above, improvements tend to be smaller as SNR becomes more adverse 94,95 . Specifically, persons qualifying for CI in only the +5 dB SNR condition can derive significant benefit from their device, but objective outcomes are more variable 96–98 . These data provide useful counseling tools for patients considering CI, but consideration of listening needs and goals should be discussed with each candidate on an individualized basis.…”

Flexible lead-free piezoelectric arrays for high-efficiency wireless ultrasonic energy transfer and communication

“…Advancements in implantable medical electronics (IMEs), such as cardiac pacemakers, 1,2 cochlear implant, 3,4 and neurostimulators, 5,6 offer many benefits in terms of monitoring and mapping biological signals, supporting and enhancing physiological functions, and mitigating and treating diseases. 7 To maintain their continuous operation, current IMEs that operate at powers ranging from several microwatts to a few hundred microwatts are typically powered by implanted batteries.…”