Assessment of 'Fitting to Outcomes Expert' FOX™ with new cochlear implant users in a multi-centre study.

Objective: To compare the fitting time requirements and the efficiency in achieving improvements in speech perception during the first 6 months after initial stimulation of computer-assisted fitting with the Fitting to Outcome eXpert' (FOX) and a standard clinical fitting procedure.

Method: Twenty-seven post-lingually deafened adults, newly implanted recipients of the Advanced Bionics HiRes 90K™ cochlear implant from Germany, the UK, and France took part in a controlled, randomized, clinical study. Speech perception was measured for all participants and fitting times were compared across groups programmed using FOX and conventional programming methods.

Evaluation of the 'Fitting to Outcomes eXpert' (FOX®) with established cochlear implant users.

Objectives: To evaluate the possible impact of 'Fitting to Outcomes eXpert (FOX(®))' on cochlear implant (CI) fitting in a clinic with extensive experience of fitting a range of CI systems, as a way to assess whether a software tool such as FOX is able to complement standard clinical procedures.

Methods: Ten adult post-lingually deafened and unilateral long-term users of the Advanced Bionics(TM) CI system (Clarion CII or HiRes 90K(TM)) underwent speech perception assessment with their current clinical program. One cycle 'iteration' of FOX optimization was performed and the program adjusted accordingly.

Setting and reaching targets with computer-assisted cochlear implant fitting.

Objective: The paper aims to demonstrate the feasibility of defining a substantial set of psychoacoustic outcome measures with preset targets and to adopt a systematic methodology for reaching these targets in a large group of subjects, by more than one clinical centre.

Design: Retrospective data analysis.

Setting: Multicentre with 14 participating centres.

Cochlear implant programming: a global survey on the state of the art.

The programming of CIs is essential for good performance. However, no Good Clinical Practice guidelines exist. This paper reports on the results of an inventory of the current practice worldwide.

A uniform graphical representation of intensity coding in current-generation cochlear implant systems.

Objectives: Understanding and predicting the impact of MAP changes on the electrical current delivered at the level of cochlear implant (CI) electrodes is challenging. However, it is an important prerequisite for effectively programming these devices in clinical practice. This article describes a graphical representation to illustrate the intensity-coding behavior of four CI systems (Cochlear, MED-EL, Advanced Bionics, and Neurelec).

Combined electric and acoustic hearing performance with Zebra® speech processor: speech reception, place, and temporal coding evaluation.

Objective: To assess the auditory performance of Digisonic(®) cochlear implant users with electric stimulation (ES) and electro-acoustic stimulation (EAS) with special attention to the processing of low-frequency temporal fine structure.

Method: Six patients implanted with a Digisonic(®) SP implant and showing low-frequency residual hearing were fitted with the Zebra(®) speech processor providing both electric and acoustic stimulation. Assessment consisted of monosyllabic speech identification tests in quiet and in noise at different presentation levels, and a pitch discrimination task using harmonic and disharmonic intonating complex sounds ( Vaerenberg et al.

Development of the A§E test battery for assessment of pitch perception in speech.

Objectives: The auditory speech sounds evaluation 2009 test battery for assessment of speech pitch perception is presented. It was designed to (a) assess perception of pitch in linguistic contexts without the confounds of secondary acoustic cues, (b) be usable with listeners from different language backgrounds, and (c) be suitable for use in a clinical setting. The need for this test battery arises from increased awareness of the importance of prosody in clinical practice, and the development of methods for improving pitch perception in listeners with profound hearing losses.

Clinical assessment of pitch perception.

Objective: The perception of pitch has recently gained attention. At present, clinical audiologic tests to assess this are hardly available. This article reports on the development of a clinical test using harmonic intonation (HI) and disharmonic intonation (DI).

Experiences of the use of FOX, an intelligent agent, for programming cochlear implant sound processors in new users.

Objective: This report describes the application of the software tool "Fitting to Outcomes eXpert" (FOX) in programming the cochlear implant (CI) processor in new users. FOX is an intelligent agent to assist in the programming of CI processors. The concept of FOX is to modify maps on the basis of specific outcome measures, achieved using heuristic logic and based on a set of deterministic "rules".

Development of a software tool using deterministic logic for the optimization of cochlear implant processor programming.

Objective: An intelligent agent, Fitting to Outcomes eXpert, was developed to optimize and automate Cochlear implant (CI) programming. The current article describes the rationale, development, and features of this tool.

Background: Cochlear implant fitting is a time-consuming procedure to define the value of a subset of the available electric parameters based primarily on behavioral responses.