Adult Cochlear Implant Recipients Research Articles

When to Start Computer-Based Auditory Training After Cochlear Implantation: Effects on Quality of Life and Speech Recognition.

Computer-based auditory training (CBAT) has been shown to improve outcomes in adult cochlear implant (CI) users. This study evaluates in new CI users whether starting CBAT within 3 months of activation or later impacts CI outcomes. Prospective natural experiment. Tertiary academic medical center. Sixty-five new adult CI users. CBAT use over the first-year postactivation. Speech recognition scores and CIQOL-35 Profile score improvements between CI recipients who started CBAT resources early (<3 mo) and late (3-12 mo) postactivation. A total of 43 CI recipients started using CBAT within 3 months postactivation (early) and 22 after 3 months (late). Patients who used CBAT within 3 months postactivation showed significantly greater improvement in consonant-nucleus-consonant words (CNCw) (48.3 ± 24.2% vs 27.8 ± 24.9%; d = 0.84), AzBio Sentences in quiet (55.1 ± 28.0% vs 35.7 ± 36.5%; d = 0.62), and CIQOL-35 listening domain scores (18.2 ± 16.3 vs 6.9 ± 12.9, d = 0.73 [0.023, 1.43]), at 3 months postactivation, compared to those who had not yet initiated CBAT. However, by 12 months postactivation, after which all CI recipients had started CBAT, there were no differences observed between patients who started CBAT early or late in speech recognition scores (CNCw: d = 0.26 [-0.35, 0.88]; AzBio: d = 0.37 [-0.23, 0.97]) or in any CIQOL global or domain score (d-range = 0.014-0.47). Auditory training with self-directed computer software (CBAT) may yield speech recognition and quality-of-life benefits for new adult CI recipients. While early users showed greater improvement in outcomes at 3 months postactivation than users who started later, both groups achieved similar benefits by 12 months postactivation.

Speech Recognition and Subjective Hearing Abilities for Electric-Acoustic Stimulation Users With Unilateral Hearing Loss.

Some cochlear implant (CI) recipients with unilateral hearing loss (UHL) have functional acoustic hearing in the implanted ear, warranting the fitting of an ipsilateral electric-acoustic stimulation (EAS) device. The present study assessed speech recognition and subjective hearing abilities over time for EAS users with UHL. Prospective, repeated-measures. Tertiary referral center. Adult CI recipients with normal-to-moderate low-frequency acoustic thresholds in the implanted ear and a contralateral pure-tone average (0.5, 1, and 2 kHz) ≤25 dB HL. Participants were evaluated preoperatively and at 1, 3, and 6 months post-activation. Speech recognition for the affected ear was evaluated with CNC words in quiet. Masked speech recognition in the bilateral condition was evaluated with AzBio sentences in a 10-talker masker (0 dB SNR) for three spatial configurations: target from the front and masker either colocated with the target or presented 90 degrees toward the affected or contralateral ear. Responses to the Speech, Spatial, and Qualities of Hearing Scale subscales were used to assess subjective hearing abilities. Participants experienced significant improvements in CNC scores ( F(3,13) = 14.90, p < 0.001), and masked speech recognition in the colocated ( F(3,11) = 3.79, p = 0.043) and masker toward the contralateral ear ( F(3,11) = 4.75, p = 0.023) configurations. They also reported significantly better abilities on the Speech Hearing ( F(3,13) = 5.19, p = 0.014) and Spatial Hearing ( F(3,13) = 10.22, p = 0.001) subscales. Adults with UHL and functional acoustic hearing in the implanted ear experience significant improvements in speech recognition and subjective hearing abilities within the initial months of EAS use as compared with preoperative performance and perceptions.

A Consensus to Revise the Minimum Speech Test Battery-Version 3.

The Minimum Speech Test Battery (MSTB) for adults was introduced in 1996 (Nilsson et al., 1996) and subsequently updated in 2011 (Advanced-Bionics et al., 2011). The MSTB has been widely used by clinicians as a guide for cochlear implant (CI) candidacy evaluations and to document post-operative speech recognition performance. Due to changes in candidacy over the past 10 years, a revision to the MSTB was needed. In 2022, the Institute for Cochlear Implant Training (ICIT) recruited a panel of expert CI audiologists to update and revise the MSTB. This panel utilized a modified Delphi consensus process to revise the test battery and to improve its applicability considering recent changes in CI care. This resulted in the MTSB-Version 3 (MSTB-3), which includes test protocols for identifying not only traditional CI candidates but also possible candidates for electric-acoustic stimulation and patients with single-sided deafness and asymmetric hearing loss. The MSTB-3 provides information that supplements the earlier versions of the MSTB, such as recommendations of when to refer patients for a CI, recommended patient-reported outcome measures, considerations regarding the use of cognitive screeners, and sample report templates for clinical documentation of pre- and post-operative care. Electronic versions of test stimuli, along with all the materials described above, will be available to clinicians via the ICIT website (https://www.cochlearimplanttraining.com). The goal of the MSTB-3 is to be an evidence-based test battery that will facilitate a streamlined standard of care for adult CI candidates and recipients that will be widely used by CI clinicians.

Can Music Enhance Working Memory and Speech in Noise Perception in Cochlear Implant Users? Design Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Behavioral and Electrophysiological Study.

A cochlear implant (CI) enables deaf people to understand speech but due to technical restrictions, users face great limitations in noisy conditions. Music training has been shown to augment shared auditory and cognitive neural networks for processing speech and music and to improve auditory-motor coupling, which benefits speech perception in noisy listening conditions. These are promising prerequisites for studying multi-modal neurologic music training (NMT) for speech-in-noise (SIN) perception in adult cochlear implant (CI) users. Furthermore, a better understanding of the neurophysiological correlates when performing working memory (WM) and SIN tasks after multi-modal music training with CI users may provide clinicians with a better understanding of optimal rehabilitation. Within 3 months, 81 post-lingual deafened adult CI recipients will undergo electrophysiological recordings and a four-week neurologic music therapy multi-modal training randomly assigned to one of three training focusses (pitch, rhythm, and timbre). Pre- and post-tests will analyze behavioral outcomes and apply a novel electrophysiological measurement approach that includes neural tracking to speech and alpha oscillation modulations to the sentence-final-word-identification-and-recall test (SWIR-EEG). Expected outcome: Short-term multi-modal music training will enhance WM and SIN performance in post-lingual deafened adult CI recipients and will be reflected in greater neural tracking and alpha oscillation modulations in prefrontal areas. Prospectively, outcomes could contribute to understanding the relationship between cognitive functioning and SIN besides the technical deficits of the CI. Targeted clinical application of music training for post-lingual deafened adult CI carriers to significantly improve SIN and positively impact the quality of life can be realized.

Speech Perception and Quality-of-Life Outcomes in Mandarin-Speaking Postlingual Deaf Adults With Cochlear Implant: Any Difference With the Intonation Language Users?

To evaluate the effects of related factors on long-term speech perception and quality-of-life (QoL) outcomes in postlingual deaf Mandarin-speaking adult cochlear implant (CI) recipients and to assess any differences between tone language and other intonation language CI adult users. Retrospective cases review. Tertiary referral center. Forty-five adult CI recipients (48 implanted ears). Post-CI outcomes were evaluated after follow-ups of more than 24 months using speech perception tests and QoL questionnaires. We analyzed the related factors affecting CI outcomes. A shorter duration of profound deafness was predictive factors for better post-CI speech perception. Earlier implantation and better performance of vowel scores were predictive of better subjective improvements in social and emotional life. Post-CI vowel scores of over 56% indicated promising improvements in QoL. Shorter duration of deafness could have better post-CI speech perception. Post-CI vowel scores instead of monosyllable words have the more potential to predict the QoL in Mandarin-speaking adult CI recipients.

Examining the psychometric properties of the Columbia Speech Quality Instrument in cochlear implant users

ObjectiveAlthough speech recognition among cochlear implant (CI) users improved over the past few decades, many still report poor speech quality. Currently, there is no validated tool to measure speech quality. The objective was to examine whether a previously validated speech quality tool is applicable in the CI population using psychometric analysis.DesignCross-sectional psychometric analysis of the Columbia Speech Quality Instrument (CSQI; previously validated in normal-hearing individuals; consists of 2 original and 7 manipulated speech clips designed to accentuate selected speech characteristics) was performed in adult English-speaking CI recipients (N = 36). Subjects rated each clip using a visual analog scale (VAS) on 14 characteristics: cartoonish/not-cartoonish, clear/unclear, like/dislike, breathy/not-breathy, smooth/rough, echo-y/not-echo-y, tinny/bassy, soothing/not-soothing, natural/unnatural, mechanical/not-mechanical, hoarse/smooth, pleasant/unpleasant, male/female, and speech-like/not-speech-like. Main outcome measures included validity, reliability, and factor structure.ResultsContent validity was previously confirmed during instrument design. Construct validity by item-item correlation analysis demonstrated correlation of 12/14 items with ≥1 other retained item (r ≥ 0.35, Spearman). Reliability was confirmed by internal consistency; factor analysis using two subsets selected by Scree plot and factor loading ≥0.4 demonstrated Cronbach alpha coefficients of 0.89 and 0.74 for factors 1 and 2, respectively. Tinny/bassy and male/female were the only characteristics that did not pass construct validity or internal consistency.ConclusionsThe CSQI has strong psychometric properties in the CI population; however, our findings support removal of tinny/bass and male/female characteristics from the final instrument prior to implementation in the CI population. The CSQI can be utilized in cochlear implantees to investigate effects of changes in speech processing strategies and postoperative outcomes with different devices.

Task-Specific Rapid Auditory Perceptual Learning in Adult Cochlear Implant Recipients: What Could It Mean for Speech Recognition.

Speech recognition in cochlear implant (CI) recipients is quite variable, particularly in challenging listening conditions. Demographic, audiological, and cognitive factors explain some, but not all, of this variance. The literature suggests that rapid auditory perceptual learning explains unique variance in speech recognition in listeners with normal hearing and those with hearing loss. The present study focuses on the early adaptation phase of task-specific rapid auditory perceptual learning. It investigates whether adult CI recipients exhibit this learning and, if so, whether it accounts for portions of the variance in their recognition of fast speech and speech in noise. Thirty-six adult CI recipients (ages = 35 to 77, M = 55) completed a battery of general speech recognition tests (sentences in speech-shaped noise, four-talker babble noise, and natural-fast speech), cognitive measures (vocabulary, working memory, attention, and verbal processing speed), and a rapid auditory perceptual learning task with time-compressed speech. Accuracy in the general speech recognition tasks was modeled with a series of generalized mixed models that accounted for demographic, audiological, and cognitive factors before accounting for the contribution of task-specific rapid auditory perceptual learning of time-compressed speech. Most CI recipients exhibited early task-specific rapid auditory perceptual learning of time-compressed speech within the course of the first 20 sentences. This early task-specific rapid auditory perceptual learning had unique contribution to the recognition of natural-fast speech in quiet and speech in noise, although the contribution to natural-fast speech may reflect the rapid learning that occurred in this task. When accounting for demographic and cognitive characteristics, an increase of 1 SD in the early task-specific rapid auditory perceptual learning rate was associated with ~52% increase in the odds of correctly recognizing natural-fast speech in quiet, and ~19% to 28% in the odds of correctly recognizing the different types of speech in noise. Age, vocabulary, attention, and verbal processing speed also had unique contributions to general speech recognition. However, their contribution varied between the different general speech recognition tests. Consistent with previous findings in other populations, in CI recipients, early task-specific rapid auditory perceptual, learning also accounts for some of the individual differences in the recognition of speech in noise and natural-fast speech in quiet. Thus, across populations, the early rapid adaptation phase of task-specific rapid auditory perceptual learning might serve as a skill that supports speech recognition in various adverse conditions. In CI users, the ability to rapidly adapt to ongoing acoustical challenges may be one of the factors associated with good CI outcomes. Overall, CI recipients with higher cognitive resources and faster rapid learning rates had better speech recognition.

Current practices and opinions on auditory training in adult cochlear implant recipients

ObjectiveTo examine current practices and opinions of cochlear implant (CI) providers with respect to post-implantation auditory training. MethodsA survey was submitted to the American Cochlear Implant Alliance membership that reviewed current practice and opinions with respect to post-implantation auditory training for adult CI recipients. Main outcome measuresReview of respondent practice, center volume, role on CI team, and current usage and opinions surrounding auditory training, including resources used and schedule of use. ResultsMost (79 %) of the 79 CI providers surveyed reported working at academic centers, 34 % at high-volume centers (>150 CIs/year), and 38 % were surgeons. Nearly all (99 %) respondents recommend auditory training for new adult CI recipients. Just over half (52 %) provide auditory training resources to the patient in the form of a broad list of patient-directed exercises from which a patient could select. A specific training resource, generally a computer-based auditory training program (e.g., AngelSound™), is recommended to patients by 30 % of the respondents.Regarding timing of rehabilitation, median preferred start time was 0 months (interquartile range [IQR] 0–1) post-activation. Sessions were preferably performed for a median of 3 h per week (IQR 2–4) and continued for a median of 12 months (IQR 6–12).Recommendations for auditory training were fairly consistent between surgeon and non-surgeon providers and by center volume. Non-surgeons more often had specific recommendations on training resources, benefits of music, and training condition (e.g., contralateral ear plugged). ConclusionsDespite a lack of clinical guidelines for adult post-implantation auditory training, a cross-sectional survey of providers' current practices and opinions demonstrates that these services are widely recommended and regarded as valuable. Training is almost universally patient-directed and believed to be most beneficial if started soon after activation. Interestingly, specific recommendations for which training approaches to use are not common, suggesting a gap in provider knowledge of which resources are most efficacious.

Enhancing Use of Remote Microphones Among Adult Cochlear Implant Users and Their Frequent Communication Partners

Remote microphones serve as assistive devices with the potential to enhance speech perception and sound quality for cochlear implant (CI) users in challenging listening environments. However, the extent to which adult CI users and their communication partners perceive these benefits remains uncertain. To address this question, we organized support groups for adult CI recipients implanted at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics and their partners residing. The primary objectives of these support groups were twofold: firstly, to provide comprehensive education on the benefits of utilizing remote microphones, and secondly, to facilitate discussions on pertinent topics, including troubleshooting device-related issues. This study focuses on identifying and addressing the barriers encountered by adult CI users and their communication partners in effectively utilizing remote microphones, while simultaneously promoting their proper use through education and guidance. During the support group sessions, we engaged in discussions focused on strategies for optimizing remote microphone utilization among CI users and their frequent communication partners. These strategies encompassed comprehensive education and training, technical assistance, addressing concerns and potential stigma, and involving family members and caregivers in the process. Following participation in the support group sessions, all attendees completed questionnaires indicating an increased motivation to utilize remote microphones effectively. This finding underscores the critical role of education and support in promoting the efficient use of assistive devices and ultimately enhancing communication outcomes for both CI recipients and their communication partners. In summary, this project indicates the potential advantages of incorporating remote microphones into the lives of adult CI recipients and their communication partners. It underscores the imperative need for robust education and support mechanisms to ensure the optimal utilization of remote microphone systems.

Datalogging Findings in Adult Cochlear Implant Recipients Who Never Developed Intelligible Speech.

Datalogging Findings in Adult Cochlear Implant Recipients Who Never Developed Intelligible Speech.

Improved Postoperative Speech Recognition and Processor Use With Early Cochlear Implant Activation.

To report speech recognition outcomes and processor use based on timing of cochlear implant (CI) activation. Retrospective cohort. Tertiary referral center. A total of 604 adult CI recipients from October 2011 to March 2022, stratified by timing of CI activation (group 1: ≤10 d, n = 47; group 2: >10 d, n = 557). Average daily processor use; Consonant-Nucleus-Consonant (CNC) and Arizona Biomedical (AzBio) in quiet at 1-, 3-, 6-, and 12-month visits; time to peak performance. The groups did not differ in sex ( p = 0.887), age at CI ( p = 0.109), preoperative CNC ( p = 0.070), or preoperative AzBio in quiet ( p = 0.113). Group 1 had higher median daily processor use than group 2 at the 1-month visit (12.3 versus 10.7 h/d, p = 0.017), with no significant differences at 3, 6, and 12 months. The early activation group had superior median CNC performance at 3 months (56% versus 46%, p = 0.007) and 12 months (60% versus 52%, p = 0.044). Similarly, the early activation group had superior median AzBio in quiet performance at 3 months (72% versus 59%, p = 0.008) and 12 months (75% versus 68%, p = 0.049). Both groups were equivalent in time to peak performance for CNC and AzBio. Earlier CI activation was significantly correlated with higher average daily processor use at all follow-up intervals. CI activation within 10 days of surgery is associated with increased early device usage and superior speech recognition at both early and late follow-up visits. Timing of activation and device usage are modifiable factors that can help optimize postoperative outcomes in the CI population.

Computer-based Auditory Training by New Adult Cochlear Implant Recipients Is Associated With Durable Improvements in Cochlear Implant Quality of Life.

The process of adapting to communicate with a cochlear implant (CI) is complex. The use of auditory training after cochlear implantation may help to facilitate improvements in postoperative speech recognition and quality-of-life outcomes in new adult CI recipients. However, the effectiveness of auditory training remains uncertain and long-term effects have not been examined in a large sample of new adult CI users. As such, the objective of this study was to examine the influence of common forms of auditory training on speech recognition and CI-related quality-of-life (CI-related QOL) outcomes at 1 year after cochlear implantation. We hypothesized that patients who reported use of computer-based auditory training (CBAT) would show improved speech and CIQOL-35 Profile scores at 1 year after activation of their implant, compared with their peers. This study was designed as a prospective study and was undertaken at a tertiary academic CI center. Participants included 114 adults undergoing cochlear implantation for bilateral hearing loss. Patients serially self-reported use of the following types of post-CI auditory training over their first-year postactivation: (1) face-to-face training (e.g., speech-language pathologist), (2) passive home-based training (e.g., listening to audiobooks), and (3) CBAT (e.g., self-directed software). Outcomes measures for this study included change in Consonant-Nucleus-Consonant phoneme (CNCp), CNC word (CNCw), AzBio sentences in quiet, and CIQOL-35 Profile global and domain scores from pre-CI to 12-mo post-CI. Of 114 patients, 94 (82.5%) used one or more auditory training resources. Of these, 19.3% used face-to-face training, 67.5% passive home-based training, and 46.5% CBAT. Of 114 patients, 73 had complete CIQOL data. At 12 mo, only CBAT use was associated with significantly greater improvements in global and all domain-specific CIQOL scores ( d -range = 0.72-0.87), compared with those not using CBAT. Controlling for demographics and use of multiple training resources, CBAT remained the strongest positive predictor of CIQOL improvement, with significant associations with global score (ß = 12.019[4.127,19.9]) and all domain scores at 12-mo post-CI: communication (ß = 11.937[2.456,21.318), emotional (ß = 12.293[1.827,22.759), entertainment (ß = 17.014[5.434,28.774), environment (ß = 13.771[1.814,25.727]), listening effort (ß = 12.523[2.798,22.248]), and social (ß = 18.114[7.403,28.826]). No significant benefits were noted with use of CBAT or any other form of auditory training and speech recognition scores at 12-mo post-CI ( d -range = -0.12-0.22). Auditory training with CBAT was associated with improved CI-related QOL outcomes at 12-mo post-CI. Given its availability and low cost, this study provides evidence to support using CBAT to improve real-world functional abilities in new adult CI recipients.

Cochlear Implant Qualification in Noise Versus Quiet: Do Patients Demonstrate Similar Postoperative Benefits?

To assess patient factors, audiometric performance, and patient-reported outcomes in cochlear implant (CI) patients who would not have qualified with in-quiet testing alone. Retrospective chart review. Tertiary referral center. Adult CI recipients implanted between 2012 and 2022 were identified. Patients with preoperative AzBio Quiet > 60% in the implanted ear, requiring multitalker babble to qualify, comprised the in-noise qualifying (NQ) group. NQ postoperative performance was compared with the in-quiet qualifying (QQ) group using CNC, AzBio Quiet, and AzBio +5 dB signal-to-noise ratio. Speech, Spatialand Qualities of Hearing Scale (SSQ), Cochlear Implant Quality of Life scale (CIQOL-10), and daily device usage were also compared between the groups. The QQ group (n = 771) and NQ group (n = 67) were similar in age and hearing loss duration. NQ had higher average preoperative and postoperative speech recognition scores. A larger proportion of QQ saw significant improvement in CNC and AzBio Quiet scores in the CI-only listening condition (eg, CI-only AzBio Quiet: 88% QQ vs 51% NQ, P < .001). Improvement in CI-only AzBio +5 dB and in all open set testing in the best-aided binaural listening condition was similar between groups (eg, Binaural AzBio Quiet 73% QQ vs 59% NQ, P = .345). Postoperative SSQ ratings, CIQOL scores, and device usage were also equivalent between both groups. Patients who require in-noise testing to meet CI candidacy demonstrate similar improvements in best-aided speech perception and patient-reported outcomes as in-QQ, supporting the use of in-noise testing to determine CI qualification for borderline CI candidates.

Patient and Device Factors Contributing to Electrically Evoked Stapedial Reflex Thresholds in Cochlear Implanted Adults

Introduction: Optimal cochlear implant (CI) outcomes are due to, at least in part, appropriate device programming. Objective measures, such as electrically evoked stapedial reflex thresholds (ESRTs), can be used to more accurately set programming levels. However, underlying factors that contribute to ESRT levels are not well understood. The objective of the current study was to analyze how demographic variables of patient sex and age, along with CI electrode location, influence ESRTs in adult CI recipients. Methods: A single institution retrospective review was performed. Electronic medical records, CI programming records, and clinic database of postoperative computerized tomography were reviewed to gather information regarding patient demographics, ESRTs, and electrode array metrics including medial-lateral distance and scalar location. Linear mixed models were constructed to determine how demographic variables and electrode position influence ESRTs recorded in 138 adult CI recipients. Results: ESRTs were significantly affected by recipient age, with older listeners demonstrating higher ESRT levels. On average, males had higher ESRT levels when compared to females. In a subset of the study sample, ESRT levels increased with increasing medial-lateral distance; however, there was not a statistically significant effect of electrode type (lateral/straight arrays compared to perimodiolar arrays). ESRTs were not affected by scalar location. Discussion/Conclusions: The results suggest that key demographic and electrode position characteristics influence the level of ESRTs in adult CI recipients. While ESRTs are widely used to assist with CI programming, underlying factors are not well understood. The significant factors of aging and sex could be due to middle ear mechanics or neural health differences. However, further data are needed to better understand these associations.

Systematic Review of Auditory Training Outcomes in Adult Cochlear Implant Recipients and Meta-Analysis of Outcomes.

Objective: to review evidence on the efficacy of auditory training in adult cochlear implant recipients. Data Sources: PRISMA guidelines for a systematic review of the literature were followed. PubMed, Scopus, and CINAHL databases were queried on 29 June 2023 for terms involving cochlear implantation and auditory training. Studies were limited to the English language and adult patient populations. Study Selection: Three authors independently reviewed publications for inclusion in the review based on a priori inclusion and exclusion criteria. Inclusion criteria encompassed adult cochlear implant populations, an analysis of clinician- or patient-directed auditory training, and an analysis of one or more measures of speech recognition and/or patient-reported outcome. Exclusion criteria included studies with only pediatric implant populations, music or localization training in isolation, and single-sample case studies. Data Extraction: The data were collected regarding study design, patient population, auditory training modality, auditory training timing, speech outcomes, and data on the durability of outcomes. A quality assessment of the literature was performed using a quality metric adapted from the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) Working Group guidelines. Data Synthesis and Meta-Analysis: Data were qualitatively summarized for 23 studies. All but four studies demonstrated significant improvement in at least one measured or patient-reported outcome measure with training. For 11 studies with sufficient data reporting, pre-intervention and post-intervention pooled means of different outcome measures were compared for 132 patients using meta-analysis. Patient-direct training was associated with significant improvement in vowel-phoneme recognition and speech recognition in noise (p < 0.05 and p < 0.001, respectively), and clinician-directed training showed significant improvement in sentence recognition in noise (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The literature on auditory training for adult cochlear implant recipients is limited and heterogeneous, including a small number of studies with limited levels of evidence and external validity. However, the current evidence suggests that auditory training can improve speech recognition in adult cochlear implant recipients.

Can Mandarin-speaking prelingual deaf adults benefit from cochlear implant?

Background With advances in cochlear implant (CI) technology, prelingual deaf adults may experience improved speech perception and quality of life (QoL). It is still a challenge for Mandarin-speaking CI user with tone recognition due to CI technology focused on intonation language. Objectives To evaluate the long-term post-CI auditory performance and social-emotional benefits in prelingual deaf Mandarin-speaking adults and the difference between them and post-lingual deaf adults. Material and Methods Fifty-five adult implanted ears were included (forty-six postlingual deaf group; nine prelingual deaf group). Post-CI long-term outcomes were using vowels, consonants, disyllabic words, Mandarin monosyllable words, categories of audiology performance, speech intelligibility rating, subjective social-emotional questionnaires. Results Post-CI auditory performance and speech intelligibility of prelingual deafness adults was significantly inferior to that of those with postlingual deafness. However, both groups presented improved social-emotional benefits, with no significant difference between both groups. Conclusions Adult CI recipients who deaf before the age of 4 can experience benefits in social-emotional life functioning, regardless of their limited auditory performance and speech intelligibility. Therefore, prelingual Mandarin-speaking deaf adults, especially those using oral communication, can be considered as relative indications for cochlear implantation. Significance To clarify and validate the benefits among Mandarin-speaking prelingual deaf adult recipients.

Intracochlear Recording of Electrocochleography During and After Cochlear Implant Insertion Dependent on the Location in the Cochlea.

To preserve residual hearing during cochlear implant (CI) surgery it is desirable to use intraoperative monitoring of inner ear function (cochlear monitoring). A promising method is electrocochleography (ECochG). Within this project the relations between intracochlear ECochG recordings, position of the recording contact in the cochlea with respect to anatomy and frequency and preservation of residual hearing were investigated. The aim was to better understand the changes in ECochG signals and whether these are due to the electrode position in the cochlea or to trauma generated during insertion. During and after insertion of hearing preservation electrodes, intraoperative ECochG recordings were performed using the CI electrode (MED-EL). During insertion, the recordings were performed at discrete insertion steps on electrode contact 1. After insertion as well as postoperatively the recordings were performed at different electrode contacts. The electrode location in the cochlea during insertion was estimated by mathematical models using preoperative clinical imaging, the postoperative location was measured using postoperative clinical imaging. The recordings were analyzed from six adult CI recipients. In the four patients with good residual hearing in the low frequencies the signal amplitude rose with largest amplitudes being recorded closest to the generators of the stimulation frequency, while in both cases with severe pantonal hearing losses the amplitude initially rose and then dropped. This might be due to various reasons as discussed in the following. Our results indicate that this approach can provide valuable information for the interpretation of intracochlearly recorded ECochG signals.

The association between electrode impedance and short-term outcomes in cochlear implant recipients of slim modiolar and slim straight electrode arrays

Objectives Electrode impedance measurements from cochlear implants (CI) reflect the status of the electrode array as well as the surrounding cochlear environment, and could provide a clinical index of functional changes with the CI. The goals of this study were to examine (1) the impact of electrode array type on electrode impedance, and (2) the relationship between electrode impedance and short-term hearing preservation and speech recognition outcomes. Methods Retrospective study of 115 adult hearing preservation CI recipients of a slim modiolar or slim straight array. Common ground electrode impedances, pre- and post-operative hearing thresholds and CNC word recognition scores were retrieved. Results Electrode impedances were significantly higher for recipients of the straight electrode array. Within individuals, electrode impedances were stable after the first week post-activation. However, increased standard deviation of electrode impedances was associated with greater loss of low frequency hearing at initial activation, and with poorer speech recognition at 6 months post-implantation. Conclusions Results demonstrate that electrode impedances depend on the type of implanted array. Findings also suggest that there may be a role for the variability in electrode impedance across electrodes as an indicator of changes in the intracochlear environment that contribute to outcomes with a CI.

The Effects of Stimulus Repetition Rate on Electrically Evoked Auditory Brainstem Potentials in Postlingually Deafened Adult Cochlear Implant Recipients.

Background: By using outcome prediction scores, it is possible to distinguish between good and poor performers with cochlear implants (CI) after CI implantation. The reasons for poor performance, despite good basic conditions, can be manifold. On the one hand, the postoperative fitting may be inadequate; on the other, neurophysiological disease processes may impair speech understanding with a CI. These disease processes are not yet fully understood. In acoustics, it is known that the auditory brainstem responses (ABR) and their latencies and amplitudes allow differential diagnosis based on reference values for normal-hearing individuals. The aim of this study was to provide reference values for electrically evoked brainstem responses (EABRs) in terms of rate-dependent latencies and amplitudes. Methods: 20 ears of 18 experienced adult CI recipients with a predicted and measured good postoperative word recognition score were recruited from the clinic's patient pool. In the same stimulation mode and intensity we measured latencies and interpeak-latencies of EABRs and electrically evoked compound action potentials (ECAPs). With a defined supra-threshold stimulation intensity above the individual ECAP threshold, we applied stimulation at several rates between 11 and 91 stimuli per second. Results: We found rate dependences for EABR latency t3 and t5 in the order of 0.19 ms and 0.37 ms, respectively, while ECAP was not affected by rate. Correspondingly, the interpeak intervals' rate dependences for t5-t1, t5-t3 and t3-t1 were of the order of 0.37 ms, 0.18 ms and 0.19 ms. Comparing the EABR amplitudes between the stimulation rates 11/s and 81/s, we found that at 81/s the amplitudes were significantly reduced down: to 73% for A3 and 81% for A5. These rate dependences of latency and amplitude in EABR have characteristics comparable to those of acoustic ABR. Conclusions: These data may serve to provide reference values for EABR and ECAP latencies, interpeak intervals and amplitudes with respect to stimulation rate. Altered response patterns of ECAPs and EABRs to normalised stimulation modes could be used in the future to describe and classify neuropathological processes in a better-differentiated way.

QoL, CIs, QALYs, and Individualized Rehabilitation: The Clinical and Practical Benefits of Regularly Assessing the Quality of Life of Adult Cochlear Implant Recipients.

This study aimed to report quality of life (QoL) scores in unilateral cochlear implant (CI) users and to generate guidance for clinicians on using QoL measures to individualize CI counselling and rehabilitation and to increase access to CIs as a mode of rehabilitation. Participants (n = 101) were unilateral CI users with single-sided deafness (SSD; n = 17), asymmetrical hearing loss (AHL; n = 26), or bilateral hearing loss (Uni; n = 58). Generic QoL was assessed via the Health Utilities Index (HUI-3), and disease-specific QoL was assessed via the Speech, Spatial, and Qualities of Hearing scale (SSQ12) and Nijmegen CI Questionnaire (NCIQ) at preimplantation and at 6 and 12 months of CI use. All groups had significantly increased HUI-3 scores at both intervals. The SSD group showed significant benefit on the SSQ12 at visit 3, the AHL group showed significant benefit on the SSQ12 and most NCIQ subdomains at both intervals, and the Uni group showed significant benefit with both tests at both intervals. Unilateral CI recipients demonstrate improved QoL within the first 12 months of device use. Regular assessment with generic and disease-specific questionnaires has the potential to play an important role in personalizing treatment and possibly in increasing access to CI provision.