Estimating Real-World Performance of Percutaneously Coupled Bone-Conduction Device Users With Severe-to-Profound Unilateral Hearing Loss.

Purpose The bone-conduction device attached to a percutaneous screw (BCD) is an important treatment option for individuals with severe-to-profound unilateral hearing loss (UHL). Clinicians may use subjective questionnaires and speech-in-noise measures to evaluate BCD use in this patient population; however, the translation of these metrics to real-world aided performance is unclear. The purpose of this study was twofold: first, to measure speech-in-noise performance in BCD users with severe-to-profound UHL in a simulated real-world environment, relative to individuals with normal hearing bilaterally; second, to determine if BCD users' subjective reports of aided performance relate to simulated real-world performance.

Assessing Cognitive Abilities in High-Performing Cochlear Implant Users.

Despite being considered one of the most successful neural prostheses, cochlear implants (CIs) provide recipients with a wide range of speech perception performance. While some CI users can understand speech in the absence of visual cues, other recipients exhibit more limited speech perception. Cognitive skills have been documented as a contributor to complex auditory processing, such as language understanding; however, there are no normative data for existing standardized clinical tests assessing cognitive abilities in CI users.

Modification of Osseointegrated Device Parameters to Improve Speech in Noise and Localization Ability: Clinical Recommendations.

Objective: To determine how best to modify osseointegrated (OI) devices or environmental settings to maximize hearing performance.

Study Design: Prospective cohort study.

Setting: Tertiary referral center.

Assessing candidacy for bilateral cochlear implants: a survey of practices in the United States and Canada.

Objectives: There are currently no agreed-upon criteria to establish candidacy for bilateral cochlear implants (CIs). This study categorized practice patterns for establishing bilateral CI candidacy.

Methods: A postal survey was sent to all practices performing CIs in the United States and Canada.

Standardization of reliability reporting for cochlear implants: an interim report.

Objective: To propose a standard definition of "out of specification" for cochlear implants and a paradigm for inclusion of category C of the ISO standard 5841-2:2000 for reporting in cumulative survival statistics.

Hypothesis: A standard definition of "out of specification" and consistent reporting by manufacturers of cochlear implants will create a fair and consistent representation of cumulative survival. This will allow discernment of differences between manufacturers for reliability and for detection of trends in reliability between model types from the same manufacturer.