Auditory Spatial Discrimination and Sound Localization in Single-Sided Deaf Participants Provided with a Cochlear Implant.

Introduction: Spatial hearing is most accurate using both ears, but accuracy decreases in persons with asymmetrical hearing between ears. In participants with deafness in one ear but normal hearing in the other ear (single-sided deafness [SSD]), this difference can be compensated by a unilateral cochlear implant (CI). It has been shown that a CI can restore sound localization performance, but it is still unclear to what extent auditory spatial discrimination can be improved.

Sound Localization in Single-Sided Deaf Participants Provided With a Cochlear Implant.

Spatial hearing is crucial in real life but deteriorates in participants with severe sensorineural hearing loss or single-sided deafness. This ability can potentially be improved with a unilateral cochlear implant (CI). The present study investigated measures of sound localization in participants with single-sided deafness provided with a CI.

[The sensitivity and specificity of the Mini-Audio-Test (MAT) for different levels of hearing loss].

Background: An untreated hearing impairment could have a severe influence on the morbidity. The Mini-Audio-Test (MAT) has been developed for early detecting of a relevant hearing loss. This follow-up investigation should determine the sensitivity, specificity, and the predictive values for a minimum-level of detected hearing loss of 25, 30, 35, and 40 dB, both, in one octave-frequency between 0.

Comparison of a Mid Scala and a Perimodiolar Electrode in Adults: Performance, Impedances, and Psychophysics.

Objectives: The HiFocus Mid-Scala electrode array (HFms) is designed to sit within the scala tympani without touching either the lateral wall or the modiolus. The aim of this study was to compare the HFms to the Helix perimodiolar electrode array.

Method: Two groups of recipients with Helix (n = 22 ears) and HFms (n = 29 ears) electrode arrays were retrospectively identified and matched by age at implantation and duration of severe to profound deafness.

Improvement in tinnitus distress, health-related quality of life and psychological comorbidities by cochlear implantation in single-sided deaf patients.

Background: Patients with single-sided deafness (SSD) lack the ability localize sound sources and have difficulty with speech-in-noise hearing. In addition, there is a high prevalence of tinnitus distress. These problems may result in reduced health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and psychological comorbidities.

Electric acoustic stimulation (EAS) with the Naída CI Q90 sound processor in experienced cochlear implant users.

: The benefit of using the electroacoustic functionality was tested compared to electric stimulation alone. Two different cut-off frequencies between acoustic and electric stimulation were tried. : Performance and subjective preference in 10 subjects was measured with electric only and electroacoustic stimulation with two settings: a cut-off for acoustic amplification at the frequency where thresholds exceeded 70 dB and 85 dB.

[Improvement in tinnitus distress, health-related quality of life and psychological comorbidities by cochlear implantation in single-sided deaf patients. German version].

Background: Patients with single-sided deafness (SSD) lack the ability localize sound sources and have difficulty with speech-in-noise hearing. In addition, there is a high prevalence of tinnitus distress. These problems may result in reduced health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and psychological comorbidities.

Evaluation of a wireless contralateral routing of signal (CROS) device with the Advanced Bionics Naída CI Q90 sound processor.

Cochlear implants (CIs) usually provide severe to profoundly deaf recipients with speech intelligibility in quiet. In difficult listening situations such as background noise however, communication often remains challenging. For unilateral CI recipients with a bilateral hearing loss, speech intelligibility for speech sources on the non-implanted side is further impaired by the head-shadow effect.

Benefit of directional microphones for unilateral, bilateral and bimodal cochlear implant users.

Objective: To compare the standard T-Mic setting to UltraZoom and StereoZoom in 10 unilateral cochlear implant (CI) users, 10 bimodal device users and 10 bilateral CI users as well as a normal hearing (NH) reference group (n = 10).

Method: Speech reception thresholds were measured using the Oldenburg sentence test in noise. Speech was presented from the front at 0°, noise was presented from five loudspeakers spaced at ±60°, ±120°, 180° (setup A) or from four loudspeakers in the front hemisphere at ±30°, ±60° and one at 180° (setup B).

[The Mini-Audio-Test (MAT) - a screening method on hearing impairment to be used by general practitioners and specialized physicians].

Background: In Germany, about 15 million people are suffering from hearing loss (HL), whereas only 16 % are using hearing aids. Untreated hearing loss may lead to severe complications (e. g.

Binaural interaction in the auditory brainstem response: a normative study.

Objective: Binaural interaction can be investigated using auditory evoked potentials. A binaural interaction component can be derived from the auditory brainstem response (ABR-BIC) and is considered evidence for binaural interaction at the level of the brainstem. Although click ABR-BIC has been investigated thoroughly, data on 500 Hz tone-burst (TB) ABR-BICs are scarce.

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 Neural Response Telemetry (NRT™) with focus on long-term rate adaptation over a wide range of stimulation rates.

Custom Sound EP™ (CSEP) is an advanced flexible software tool dedicated to recording of electrically evoked compound action potentials (ECAPs) in Nucleus® recipients using Neural Response Telemetry™ (NRT™). European multi-centre studies of the Freedom™ cochlear implant system confirmed that CSEP offers tools to effectively record ECAP thresholds, amplitude growth functions, recovery functions, spread of excitation functions, and rate adaptation functions and an automated algorithm (AutoNRT™) to measure threshold profiles. This paper reports on rate adaptation measurements.

Validity of cochlear microphonics at high sound pressure levels as an important clinical aspect.

Introduction: Cochlear microphonics are electrical stimulus responses of the inner ear, generated by mechanical displacement of the hair cells caused by acoustic stimulation. As cochlear microphonics are often used in the diagnosis of hearing impairment and deafness, in preliminary investigations it was seen that obliteration or ossification have no effect on the extent to which cochlear microphonics can be recorded at high sound pressure levels. As artifacts at high sound pressure levels suggested, measurements were subsequently conducted using temporal bone specimens.

International classification of reliability for implanted cochlear implant receiver stimulators.

Objective: To design an international standard to be used when reporting reliability of the implanted components of cochlear implant systems to appropriate governmental authorities, cochlear implant (CI) centers, and for journal editors in evaluating manuscripts involving cochlear implant reliability.

Study Design: The International Consensus Group for Cochlear Implant Reliability Reporting was assembled to unify ongoing efforts in the United States, Europe, Asia, and Australia to create a consistent and comprehensive classification system for the implanted components of CI systems across manufacturers.

Setting: All members of the consensus group are from tertiary referral cochlear implant centers.

Effect of changing pulse rate on profile parameters of perceptual thresholds and loudness comfort levels and relation to ECAP thresholds in recipients of the Nucleus CI24RE device.

The Nucleus CI24RE ‘Freedom' device offers higher stimulation rates and lower noise levels in action potential measurements (ECAPs) than previous devices. A study including ten European implant teams showed that the effect of changes in rate from 250 to 3500 pulses per second on tilt and curvature of the T and C profiles is insignificant. When changing rate one may change the levels at all electrodes by the same amount.

Speech perception performance as a function of stimulus pulse rate and processing strategy preference for the Cochlear Nucleus CI24RE device: relation to perceptual threshold and loudness comfort profiles.

Current cochlear implants can operate at high pulse rates. The effect of increasing pulse rate on speech performance is not yet clear. Habituation to low rates may affect the outcome.

The influence of post-meningitic obliteration and ossification of the cochlea on cochlear microphonics.

Cochlear microphonics are electrical stimulus responses of the inner ear. They are generated by mechanical displacement of the hair cells caused by acoustic stimulation and can be recorded from the cochlear promontory via a needle electrode. In individuals with post-meningitic deafness, fibrous obliteration or ossification of the cochlea may occur.

A high rate n-of-m speech processing strategy for the first generation Clarion cochlear implant.

An n-of-m speech coding strategy has been developed for the Clarion Cochlear Implant Series 1.x (1.0 & 1.

TNRT profiles with the nucleus research platform 8 system.

This study investigates the effect of the Nucleus CI24RE implant's neural response telemetry (NRT) system, which has less internal noise compared to its predecessor, the CI24M/R implant, on the NRT threshold (TNRT) profile across the array. CI24M/R measurements were simulated by ignoring CI24RE measurements with response amplitudes below 50 uV. Comparisons of the estimated TNRTs from the CI24RE measurements and the CI24M/R simulations suggest that, apart from a constant level difference, the TNRT profiles from the newer implant generally would not have differed very much from those of its predecessor.

The Advanced Bionics High Resolution Mode: stimulation rates up to 5000 pps.

Conclusion: The technology of stimulation rates between 1500 and 5000 pulses per second per channel (pps/ch) brings a benefit for all users. However, the fastest possible rate does not necessarily lead to best hearing performance in each individual subject. Individual optimization of stimulation rate is recommended.

Impact of low-frequency hearing.

Today, cochlear implantation is the treatment of choice in the case of severe to profound hearing loss, but the speech perception abilities of many recipients in noisy conditions are still poor and the overall sound quality and ease of listening still require improvement. Residual low-frequency hearing has been associated with improved hearing performance in cochlear implant patients, especially in difficult listening environments (i.e.

The influence of the coupling of actuation drivers of implantable hearing systems on the mechanics of the middle ear.

We used multifrequency tympanometry to provide middle ear mechanics after implantation of different implantable hearing aids. A total of 34 patients were included in the investigation; 19 of them were fitted with the Otologics system and 15 with the MED-EL Vibrant Soundbridge system. With the Otologics recipients, measurements were made preoperatively and both two months and at least 12 months postoperatively.

A review of device failure in more than 23 years of clinical experience of a cochlear implant program with more than 3,400 implantees.

Background: During the last 25 years, the cochlear implant (CI), an active implantable assistive hearing device designed to provide electrical stimulation to the inner ear of the profoundly hearing-impaired individual, has been provided to more than 150,000 recipients worldwide. More recently, implants have been placed in young children as young as 6 months old. With the expectation of lifelong implant use, as with all active implantable medical devices, CI device failure is an inherent risk.