Bimodal Fitting and Bilateral Cochlear Implants in Children With Significant Residual Hearing: The Impact of Asymmetry in Spatial Release of Masking on Localization

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Marloes Sparreboom ◽  
Sebastián Ausili ◽  
Martijn J. H. Agterberg ◽  
Emmanuel A. M. Mylanus
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Cochlear Implants ◽  
Fundamental Frequency ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
Normal Hearing ◽  
Residual Hearing ◽  
Bilateral Cochlear Implants ◽  
Spatial Release ◽  
Left Right Asymmetry ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This study aimed to gain more insight into the primary auditory abilities of children with significant residual hearing in order to improve decision making when choosing between bimodal fitting or sequential bilateral cochlear implantation. Method Sound localization abilities, spatial release of masking, and fundamental frequency perception were tested. Nine children with bimodal fitting and seven children with sequential bilateral cochlear implants were included in the study. As a reference, 15 children with normal hearing and two children with simultaneous bilateral cochlear implants were included. Results On all outcome measures, the implanted children performed worse than the normal hearing children. For high-frequency localization, children with sequential bilateral cochlear implants performed significantly better than children with bimodal fitting. Compared to children with normal hearing, the left–right asymmetry in spatial release of masking was significant. When the implant was hindered by noise, bimodally fitted children obtained significantly lower spatial release of masking compared to when the hearing aid was hindered by noise. Overall, the larger the left–right asymmetry in spatial release of masking, the poorer the localization skills. No significant differences were found in fundamental frequency perception between the implant groups. Conclusions The data hint to an advantage of bilateral implantation over bimodal fitting. The extent of asymmetry in spatial release of masking is a promising tool for decision making when choosing whether to continue with the hearing aid or to provide a second cochlear implant in children with significant residual hearing.

Hearing Aid Amplification Reduces Communication Effort of People With Hearing Impairment and Their Conversation Partners

2020 ◽  
Vol 63 (4) ◽  
pp. 1299-1311 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy Beechey ◽  
Jörg M. Buchholz ◽  
Gitte Keidser
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Impairment ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
Normal Hearing ◽  
Referential Communication ◽  
Hearing Impaired ◽  
Directional Hearing ◽  
Acoustic Environment ◽  
Communication Task ◽  
Acoustic Environments ◽  
The Impact

Objectives This study investigates the hypothesis that hearing aid amplification reduces effort within conversation for both hearing aid wearers and their communication partners. Levels of effort, in the form of speech production modifications, required to maintain successful spoken communication in a range of acoustic environments are compared to earlier reported results measured in unaided conversation conditions. Design Fifteen young adult normal-hearing participants and 15 older adult hearing-impaired participants were tested in pairs. Each pair consisted of one young normal-hearing participant and one older hearing-impaired participant. Hearing-impaired participants received directional hearing aid amplification, according to their audiogram, via a master hearing aid with gain provided according to the NAL-NL2 fitting formula. Pairs of participants were required to take part in naturalistic conversations through the use of a referential communication task. Each pair took part in five conversations, each of 5-min duration. During each conversation, participants were exposed to one of five different realistic acoustic environments presented through highly open headphones. The ordering of acoustic environments across experimental blocks was pseudorandomized. Resulting recordings of conversational speech were analyzed to determine the magnitude of speech modifications, in terms of vocal level and spectrum, produced by normal-hearing talkers as a function of both acoustic environment and the degree of high-frequency average hearing impairment of their conversation partner. Results The magnitude of spectral modifications of speech produced by normal-hearing talkers during conversations with aided hearing-impaired interlocutors was smaller than the speech modifications observed during conversations between the same pairs of participants in the absence of hearing aid amplification. Conclusions The provision of hearing aid amplification reduces the effort required to maintain communication in adverse conditions. This reduction in effort provides benefit to hearing-impaired individuals and also to the conversation partners of hearing-impaired individuals. By considering the impact of amplification on both sides of dyadic conversations, this approach contributes to an increased understanding of the likely impact of hearing impairment on everyday communication.

scholarly journals Auditory motion tracking ability of adults with normal hearing and with bilateral cochlear implants

2019 ◽  
Vol 145 (4) ◽  
pp. 2498-2511 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keng Moua ◽  
Alan Kan ◽  
Heath G. Jones ◽  
Sara M. Misurelli ◽  
Ruth Y. Litovsky
Keyword(s):  
Cochlear Implants ◽  
Motion Tracking ◽  
Normal Hearing ◽  
Auditory Motion ◽  
Bilateral Cochlear Implants ◽  
Tracking Ability

scholarly journals An introductory overview of bimodal fitting

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahdieh Hasanalifard ◽  
Younes Lotfi ◽  
Abdollah Moossavi
Keyword(s):  
Cochlear Implant ◽  
Cochlear Implants ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
Binaural Hearing ◽  
Residual Hearing ◽  
Sound Perception ◽  
Speech Perception In Noise ◽  
Musical Perception ◽  
Introductory Overview ◽  
Wide Range

Background and Aim: In a bimodal fitting, one ear is stimulated acoustically with a hearing aid and the other is stimulated electrically with a cochlear implant. This paper provides a brief summary of the concept of bimodal fitting, binaural hearing and its importance, the hearing benefits of binaural hearing in bimodal fitting, candidacy and hearing aid adjustment in bimodal fitting cases. Recent Findings: Researches have shown that bimodal fitting offers a wide range of hearing benefits over unilateral cochlear implants, such as better speech perception in noise, better musical perception, and a better understanding of pitch and tone perception and naturalness of sound perception. Conclusion: Considering the binaural hearing advantages in bimodal fitting users, it can be concluded that users of unilateral cochlear implants who have measurable residual hearing in their non-implanted ear can use a hearing aid in that ear and enjoy binaural hearing advantages. The hearing aid should be fitted in a way to complement the information obtained through cochlear implantation. Keywords: Bimodal fitting; cochlear implant; binaural hearing

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