The Effect of Soft Tissue Infections on Device Performance in Adult Cochlear Implant Recipients.

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the effect of cochlear implant (CI) site infection and its subsequent management on CI mapping and CI performance. Risk factors for CI infections and pathogens causing infections were reviewed. Treatment options for CI infections were examined.

Impact of cognition and noise reduction on speech perception in adults with unilateral cochlear implants.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of cognition and noise reduction (NR) technology in cochlear implants (CIs) on speech perception and listening effort.

Methods: Thirteen adults fitted with unilateral CIs (Nucleus 6, CP900) participated in this study. Participants performed: (I) cognitive tests of working memory and processing speed, (II) speech perception in noise tests, and (III) an auditory-visual dual-task paradigm to quantify listening effort, as a part of the three-phase experimental study.

Erratum: The Effect of Short-Term Auditory Training on Speech in Noise Perception and Cortical Auditory Evoked Potentials in Adults with Cochlear Implants.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1055/s-0035-1570335.].

The Effect of Short-Term Auditory Training on Speech in Noise Perception and Cortical Auditory Evoked Potentials in Adults with Cochlear Implants.

This study investigated whether a short intensive psychophysical auditory training program is associated with speech perception benefits and changes in cortical auditory evoked potentials (CAEPs) in adult cochlear implant (CI) users. Ten adult implant recipients trained approximately 7 hours on psychophysical tasks (Gap-in-Noise Detection, Frequency Discrimination, Spectral Rippled Noise [SRN], Iterated Rippled Noise, Temporal Modulation). Speech performance was assessed before and after training using Lexical Neighborhood Test (LNT) words in quiet and in eight-speaker babble.

Health effects of cochlear implants.

Aim: To investigate whether people on a waiting list for cochlear implantation are more likely than those who have cochlear implants to suffer from illnesses which are potentially mediated by stress.

Method: A questionnaire, designed to assess the presence, persistence, and medication use associated with stress-related illnesses, was administered to two groups: those on a waiting list for cochlear implantation and adult users of cochlear implants.

Results: Those on the cochlear implant waiting list had significantly poorer health as indicated by: a greater number of conditions experienced in the past year, longer illness length when affected by a condition, medication use for a greater number of conditions, and poorer mental health.

It's a whole new ball game! Employment experiences of people with a cochlear implant.

Many implantees anecdotally report employment benefits being associated with implantation. This benefit has not been routinely reported in prospective studies of implant outcomes. It is important therefore to establish the nature of benefit reported by implantees so that further studies may document such outcomes in a representative fashion.

Unsuccessful cochlear implantation in two patients with superficial siderosis of the central nervous system.

Objective: To highlight the potential adverse outcomes with cochlear implantation (CI) in patients with superficial siderosis.

Patients: Two patients with superficial siderosis of the central nervous system with secondary sensorineural hearing loss.

Intervention: Cochlear implantation.

Evaluating the health-related quality of life effects of cochlear implants: a prospective study of an adult cochlear implant program.

This paper prospectively documents the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and social participation benefits of adult patients receiving cochlear implants in Australia and New Zealand. Thirty-four consecutively implanted patients completed the Assessment of Quality of Life (AQoL) and Hearing Participation Scale (HPS) instruments before implantation, and at 3- and 6-month follow-ups. Implantation resulted in significant improvements in AQoL and HPS scores, The effect size was 1.