Data Logging Evidence of Cochlear Implant Use in Single-Sided and Bilateral Deafness

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 206-216 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann-Kathrin Rauch ◽  
Stephanie Kagermann ◽  
Thomas Wesarg ◽  
Till Fabian Jakob ◽  
Antje Aschendorff ◽  
...  

Purpose: This study analyses data logs in order to investigate the usage pattern of cochlear implant (CI) recipients with single-sided deafness (SSD-CI) and bilaterally deaf, uni- or bilaterally implanted CI recipients (Uni-CI and Bil-CI). Data logging is available from SCAN, an automated auditory scene classifier which categorizes auditory input into 6 listening environments. Methods: CI usage data were retrospectively available from data logs of 206 CI recipients using the Nucleus 6 system obtained between January 2013 and June 2015. For all recipients, we analysed time on air and time spent in the listening environments. For statistical analysis, we matched the CI recipients according to age and duration of CI experience and classified them into 4 age groups. Results: SSD-CI showed a similar time on air compared to Uni- and Bil-CI. Usage behaviour of SSD-CI was comparable to Uni- and Bil-CI regarding exposure to music, speech in quiet and speech in noise. With increasing age, exposure to quiet increased and exposure to music decreased across all CI recipient groups in relation to time on air. Conclusion: In total, the CI usage pattern of SSD-CI is comparable for the majority of listening environments and age groups to that of Uni- and Bil-CI. The results of our study show that SSD-CI benefit equally from CI implantation.

2017 ◽  
Vol 22 (4-5) ◽  
pp. 226-235 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eliana Cristofari ◽  
Domenico Cuda ◽  
Alessandro Martini ◽  
Francesca Forli ◽  
Diego Zanetti ◽  
...  

Currently, there are no studies assessing everyday use of cochlear implant (CI) processors by recipients by means of objective tools. The Nucleus 6 sound processor features a data logging system capable of real-time recording of CI use in different acoustic environments and under various categories of loudness levels. In this study, we report data logged for the different scenes and different loudness levels of 1,366 CI patients, as recorded by SCAN. Monitoring device use in cochlear implant recipients of all ages provides important information about the listening conditions encountered in recipients' daily lives that may support counseling and assist in the further management of their device settings. The findings for this large cohort of active CI users confirm differences between age groups concerning device use and exposure to various noise environments, especially between the youngest and oldest age groups, while similar levels of loudness were observed.


2021 ◽  
Vol 25 ◽  
pp. 233121652110206
Author(s):  
Andreas Griessner ◽  
Reinhold Schatzer ◽  
Viktor Steixner ◽  
Gunesh P. Rajan ◽  
Clemens Zierhofer ◽  
...  

Two-electrode stimuli presented on adjacent mid-array contacts in cochlear-implant users elicit pitch percepts that are not consistent with a summation of the two temporal patterns. This indicates that low-rate temporal rate codes can be applied with considerable independence on adjacent mid-array electrodes. At issue in this study was whether a similar independence of temporal pitch cues can also be observed for more apical sites of stimulation, where temporal cues have been shown to be more reliable than place cues, in contrast to middle and basal sites. In cochlear-implant recipients with single-sided deafness implanted with long lateral-wall electrode arrays, pitch percepts were assessed by matching the pitch of dual-electrode stimuli with pure tones presented to the contralateral normal-hearing ear. The results were supported with an additional pitch-ranking experiment, in a different subject population with bilateral deafness. Unmodulated pulse trains with 100, 200, and 400 pulses per second were presented on three pairs of adjacent electrodes. Pulses were separated by the minimal interchannel delay (1.7 µs) in a short-delay configuration and by half the pulse period in a long-delay configuration. The hypothesis was that subjects would perceive a pitch corresponding to the doubled temporal pattern for the long-delay stimuli due to the summation of excitation patterns from adjacent apical electrodes, if those electrodes were to activate largely overlapping neural populations. However, we found that the mean matched acoustic pitch of the long-delay pulses was not significantly different from that of the short-delay pulses. These findings suggest that also in the apical region in long-array cochlear-implant recipients, temporal cues can be transmitted largely independently on adjacent electrodes.


2014 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 73-80 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Weder ◽  
Martin Kompis ◽  
Marco Caversaccio ◽  
Christof Stieger

Objective: To investigate objective and subjective effects of an adjunctive contralateral routing of signal (CROS) device at the untreated ear in patients with a unilateral cochlear implant (CI). Design: Prospective study of 10 adult experienced unilateral CI users with bilateral severe-to-profound hearing loss. Speech in noise reception (SNR) and sound localization were measured with and without the additional CROS device. SNR was measured by applying speech signals at the untreated/CROS side while noise signals came from the front (S90N0). For S0N90, signal sources were switched. Sound localization was measured in a 12-loudspeaker full circle setup. To evaluate the subjective benefit, patients tried the device for 2 weeks at home, then filled out the abbreviated Speech, Spatial and Qualities of Hearing Scale as well as the Bern benefit in single-sided deafness questionnaires. Results: In the setting S90N0, all patients showed a highly significant SNR improvement when wearing the additional CROS device (mean 6.4 dB, p < 0.001). In the unfavorable setting S0N90, only a minor deterioration of speech understanding was noted (mean -0.66 dB, p = 0.54). Sound localization did not improve substantially with CROS. In the two questionnaires, 12 of 14 items showed an improvement in mean values, but none of them was statistically significant. Conclusion: Patients with unilateral CI benefit from a contralateral CROS device, particularly in a noisy environment, when speech comes from the CROS ear side. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ben Somers ◽  
Christopher J. Long ◽  
Tom Francart

AbstractThe cochlear implant is one of the most successful medical prostheses, allowing deaf and severely hearing-impaired persons to hear again by electrically stimulating the auditory nerve. A trained audiologist adjusts the stimulation settings for good speech understanding, known as “fitting” the implant. This process is based on subjective feedback from the user, making it time-consuming and challenging, especially in paediatric or communication-impaired populations. Furthermore, fittings only happen during infrequent sessions at a clinic, and therefore cannot take into account variable factors that affect the user’s hearing, such as physiological changes and different listening environments. Objective audiometry, in which brain responses evoked by auditory stimulation are collected and analysed, removes the need for active patient participation. However, recording of brain responses still requires expensive equipment that is cumbersome to use. An elegant solution is to record the neural signals using the implant itself. We demonstrate for the first time the recording of continuous electroencephalographic (EEG) signals from the implanted intracochlear electrode array in human subjects, using auditory evoked potentials originating from different brain regions. This was done using a temporary recording set-up with a percutaneous connector used for research purposes. Furthermore, we show that the response morphologies and amplitudes depend crucially on the recording electrode configuration. The integration of an EEG system into cochlear implants paves the way towards chronic neuro-monitoring of hearing-impaired patients in their everyday environment, and neuro-steered hearing prostheses, which can autonomously adjust their output based on neural feedback.


Author(s):  
Till F. Jakob ◽  
Iva Speck ◽  
Ann-Kathrin Rauch ◽  
Frederike Hassepass ◽  
Manuel C. Ketterer ◽  
...  

Abstract Purpose The aim of the study was to compare long-term results after 1 year in patients with single-sided deafness (SSD) who were fitted with different hearing aids. The participants tested contralateral routing of signals (CROS) hearing aids and bone-anchored hearing systems (BAHS). They were also informed about the possibility of a cochlear implant (CI) and chose one of the three devices. We also investigated which factors influenced the choice of device. Methods Prospective study with 89 SSD participants who were divided into three groups by choosing BAHS, CROS, or CI. All participants received test batteries with both objective hearing tests (speech perception in noise and sound localisation) and subjective questionnaires. Results 16 participants opted for BAHS-, 13 for CROS- and 30 for CI-treatment. The greater the subjective impairment caused by SSD, the more likely patients were to opt for surgical treatment (BAHS or CI). The best results in terms of speech perception in noise (especially when sound reaches the deaf ear and noise the hearing ear), sound localization, and subjective results were achieved with CI. Conclusion The best results regarding the therapy of SSD are achieved with a CI, followed by BAHS. This was evident both in objective tests and in the subjective questionnaires. Nevertheless, an individual decision is required in each case as to which SSD therapy option is best for the patient. Above all, the patient's subjective impairment and expectations should be included in the decision-making process.


2016 ◽  
Vol 21 (03) ◽  
pp. 206-212 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grace Ciscare ◽  
Erika Mantello ◽  
Carla Fortunato-Queiroz ◽  
Miguel Hyppolito ◽  
Ana Reis

Introduction A cochlear implant in adolescent patients with pre-lingual deafness is still a debatable issue. Objective The objective of this study is to analyze and compare the development of auditory speech perception in children with pre-lingual auditory impairment submitted to cochlear implant, in different age groups in the first year after implantation. Method This is a retrospective study, documentary research, in which we analyzed 78 reports of children with severe bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, unilateral cochlear implant users of both sexes. They were divided into three groups: G1, 22 infants aged less than 42 months; G2, 28 infants aged between 43 to 83 months; and G3, 28 older than 84 months. We collected medical record data to characterize the patients, auditory thresholds with cochlear implants, assessment of speech perception, and auditory skills. Results There was no statistical difference in the association of the results among groups G1, G2, and G3 with sex, caregiver education level, city of residence, and speech perception level. There was a moderate correlation between age and hearing aid use time, age and cochlear implants use time. There was a strong correlation between age and the age cochlear implants was performed, hearing aid use time and age CI was performed. Conclusion There was no statistical difference in the speech perception in relation to the patient's age when cochlear implant was performed. There were statistically significant differences for the variables of auditory deprivation time between G3 - G1 and G2 - G1 and hearing aid use time between G3 - G2 and G3 - G1.


2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jantien L. Vroegop ◽  
J. Gertjan Dingemanse ◽  
Marc P. van der Schroeff ◽  
André Goedegebure

PurposeThe aim of the study was to investigate the effect of 3 hearing aid fitting procedures on provided gain of the hearing aid in bimodal cochlear implant users and their effect on bimodal benefit.MethodThis prospective study measured hearing aid gain and auditory performance in a cross-over design in which 3 hearing aid fitting methods were compared. Hearing aid fitting methods differed in initial gain prescription rule (NAL-NL2 and Audiogram+) and loudness balancing method (broadband vs. narrowband loudness balancing). Auditory functioning was evaluated by a speech-in-quiet test, a speech-in-noise test, and a sound localization test. Fourteen postlingually deafened adult bimodal cochlear implant users participated in the study.ResultsNo differences in provided gain and in bimodal performance were found for the different hearing aid fittings. For all hearing aid fittings, a bimodal benefit was found for speech in noise and sound localization.ConclusionOur results confirm that cochlear implant users with residual hearing in the contralateral ear substantially benefit from bimodal stimulation. However, on average, no differences were found between different types of fitting methods, varying in prescription rule and loudness balancing method.


2016 ◽  
Vol 342 ◽  
pp. 124-133 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeroen P.M. Peters ◽  
Edwin Bennink ◽  
Wilko Grolman ◽  
Gijsbert A. van Zanten

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ben Somers ◽  
Christopher J. Long ◽  
Tom Francart

AbstractThe cochlear implant is one of the most successful medical prostheses, allowing deaf and severely hearing-impaired persons to hear again by electrically stimulating the auditory nerve. A trained audiologist adjusts the stimulation settings for good speech understanding, known as “fitting” the implant. This process is based on subjective feedback from the user, making it time-consuming and challenging, especially in paediatric or communication-impaired populations. Furthermore, fittings only happen during infrequent sessions at a clinic, and therefore cannot take into account variable factors that affect the user’s hearing, such as physiological changes and different listening environments. Objective audiometry, in which brain responses evoked by auditory stimulation are collected and analysed, removes the need for active patient participation. However, recording of brain responses still requires expensive equipment that is cumbersome to use. An elegant solution is to record the neural signals using the implant itself. We demonstrate for the first time the recording of continuous electroencephalographic (EEG) signals from the implanted intracochlear electrode array in human subjects, using auditory evoked potentials originating from different brain regions. Furthermore, we show that the response morphologies and amplitudes depend crucially on the recording electrode configuration. The integration of an EEG system into cochlear implants paves the way towards chronic neuro-monitoring of hearing-impaired patients in their everyday environment, and neuro-steered hearing prostheses, which can autonomously adjust their output based on neural feedback.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark D. Fletcher ◽  
Amatullah Hadeedi ◽  
Tobias Goehring ◽  
Sean R Mills

Cochlear implant (CI) users receive only limited sound information through their implant, which means that they struggle to understand speech in noisy environments. Recent work has suggested that combining the electrical signal from the CI with a haptic signal that provides crucial missing sound information (“electro-haptic stimulation”; EHS) could improve speech-in-noise performance. The aim of the current study was to test whether EHS could enhance speech-in-noise performance in CI users using: (1) a tactile signal derived using an algorithm that could be applied in real time, (2) a stimulation site appropriate for a real-world application, and (3) a tactile signal that could readily be produced by a compact, portable device. We measured speech intelligibility in multi-talker noise with and without vibro-tactile stimulation of the wrist in CI users, before and after a short training regime. No effect of EHS was found before training, but after training EHS was found to improve the number of words correctly identified by an average of 8.3 %-points, with some users improving by more than 20 %-points. Our approach could offer an inexpensive and non-invasive means of improving speech-in-noise performance in CI users.


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