Everyday listening questionnaire: correlation between subjective hearing and objective performance.

Objectives: Clinical experience has demonstrated that speech understanding by cochlear implant (CI) recipients has improved over recent years with the development of new technology. The Everyday Listening Questionnaire 2 (ELQ 2) was designed to collect information regarding the challenges faced by CI recipients in everyday listening. The aim of this study was to compare self-assessment of CI users using ELQ 2 with objective speech recognition measures and to compare results between users of older and newer coding strategies.

Results of a pilot study with a signal enhancement algorithm for HiRes 120 cochlear implant users.

Objective: Cochlear implant users still experience severe limitations regarding sound quality, music appreciation, and speech perception in adverse listening situation. To improve hearing in noisy environments, the incorporation of signal enhancement algorithms was initiated.

Method: The study group consisted of 13 postlingually deafened adults using HiRes 120.

Cochlear implantation in unilateral deaf subjects associated with ipsilateral tinnitus.

Objective: In subjects who are deaf and who also have tinnitus in the affected ear, tinnitus treatments based on acoustic input are impossible. On the other hand, tinnitus suppression using electric stimulation has been reported to be successful. Therefore, a study was initiated to investigate the potential of cochlear implantation (CI) in unilateral deaf subjects regarding tinnitus suppression, device acceptance, and restoration of spatial hearing.

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.

Investigation of pitch discrimination and the effect of learning for virtual channels realized by current steering.

Conclusion: As virtual channels could be perceived by the majority of implant users, they promise potential for advanced speech coding strategies, providing enhanced spectral resolution. An improvement in resolution was found from first stimulation up to 6 months afterwards.

Objective: Independent current sources allow distribution of the current between adjacent electrode contacts in a defined ratio, thus steering the current.

Evaluation of the Harmony soundprocessor in combination with the speech coding strategy HiRes 120.

Objective: The Advanced Bionics Harmony BTE processor was developed to support the new speech coding strategy HiRes 120 with a resolution of 120 channels based on "current steering." Compared with the previous Auria, the front end has been re-designed and power consumption reduced.

Study Design: HiRes 120 as well as the impact of the improved Harmony processing concerning a better speech understanding were evaluated.

Evaluation of Advanced Bionics high resolution mode.

The objective of this paper is to evaluate the advantages of the Advanced Bionic high resolution mode for speech perception, through a retrospective analysis. Forty-five adult subjects were selected who had a minimum experience of three months' standard mode (mean of 10 months) before switching to high resolution mode. Speech perception was tested in standard mode immediately before fitting with high resolution mode, and again after a maximum of six months high resolution mode usage (mean of two months).

Comparison of a paired or sequential stimulation paradigm with advanced bionics' high-resolution mode.

Objective: Simultaneous stimulation on two channels was investigated with respect to fully sequential stimulation while controlling for the number of channels and the stimulation rate used.

Study Design: Only subjects having at least 6 months' experience with conventional Clarion speech coding strategies (CIS, PPS, or SAS) were included. A counterbalanced cross-over design was used to compare the paired stimulation paradigm to the sequential stimulation paradigm.