Prediction of post-operative profits in cochlear implanted people using electrical stimulation test results

Abstract

There are few techniques adequate for assessing the remaining sensitivity of a hearing nerve in deaf people or those with a severe hearing loss. The procedures developed at the Institute of Physiology and Pathology of Hearing in Warsaw allow the determination of some vital characteristics of the hearing sense that help to make decisions regarding the cochlear implantation. The post-operative profits evaluation is also very important in the case of cochlea implanted persons. Apart from standard preexamination procedures, a test based on the electrical stimulation via the external auditory canal filled with saline can be performed. In order to evaluate the test results, both the dynamics range defined by the auditory threshold and the uncomfortable loudness level and the time difference limen test are considered. However, usually the results of electrical stimulation tests are highly diversified, depending on a patient’s age and condition, thus there was a need to create a database allowing one to find and to study the correlation between obtained test results and patients’ ability to receive and understand sounds. In this way, the interpretation of the electrical stimulation test results for the new diagnosed cases was made more reliable. [Work supported by KBN, Poland, Grant No. 4 P05C 082 12.]