Cochlear Implantation in Single-Sided Deafness and Asymmetric Hearing Loss: 12 Months Follow-up Results of a European Multicenter Evaluation.

People with single-sided deafness (SSD) or asymmetric hearing loss (AHL) have particular difficulty understanding speech in noisy listening situations and in sound localization. The objective of this multicenter study is to evaluate the effect of a cochlear implant (CI) in adults with single-sided deafness (SSD) or asymmetric hearing loss (AHL), particularly regarding sound localization and speech intelligibility with additional interest in electric-acoustic pitch matching. A prospective longitudinal study at 7 European tertiary referral centers was conducted including 19 SSD and 16 AHL subjects undergoing cochlear implantation.

Intraoperative recordings of electromyogenic responses from the human stapedius muscle.

Following surgical implantation of a cochlear implant, the external processor must be programmed individually, which is typically achieved by behavioral measurements, with the user indicating the perceived loudness between the threshold and the maximum comfort levels (MCLs). However, the stapedius reflex measurement could be used instead, as the basis for programming the fitting maps. The electrically evoked stapedius reflex threshold is known to have a high correlation with the MCLs and thus is used as an objective tool to determine the MCL, especially in children and non-cooperative patients.

Prediction of Behavioral T/C Levels in Cochlear Implant Patients Based Upon Analysis of Electrode Impedances.

Background: Fitting cochlear implants in babies and noncooperative patients is cumbersome and time consuming. Therefore, objective parameters have been sought in order to predict the subjective threshold (T) and maximum comfort (C) levels. Measurements of the electrically evoked compound action potentials (ECAPs) have been widely used for this purpose, yet the correlation between these objective measures and the subjective T/C levels is weak to moderate.

Influence of the pre- or postlingual status of cochlear implant recipients on behavioural T/C-levels.

Introduction: Previous auditory experience modifies the sensitivity of the auditory cortex to the afferent activity of the auditory pathways and may influence the threshold (T) and comfort (C) levels in patients receiving a cochlear implant (CI). Literature data on this particular topic is very scarce.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the differences in T/C-levels between pre- and postlingually implanted cochlear implant patients.

Do Double-fan Surgical Helmet Systems Result in Less Gown-particle Contamination Than Single-fan Designs?

Background: Surgical helmet systems commonly are stand-alone systems with a single fan blowing air into the suit, creating positive pressure that blows particles out through areas of low resistance, possibly contaminating surgical attire and the surgical field. Two-fan systems were developed more recently to release spent air, also theoretically lowering pressure in the suit and decreasing the aforementioned risk of particle contamination. To our knowledge no study to date has measured the potential differences in gown particle contamination to support this hypothesis.