Acoustic plus electric speech processing: Long‐term results. (23rd May 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Gantz, Bruce J.; Dunn, Camille C.; Oleson, Jacob; Hansen, Marlan R.
• Is Part Of: Laryngoscope. Volume 128:Number 2(2018)
• Page Start: 473
• Page End: 481
• Publication Date: 2017-05-23
• Subjects: Hybrid -- residual hearing -- cochlear implant -- long‐term; Otolaryngology -- Periodicals; 617.51005
• DOI: 10.1002/lary.26669
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0023-852X

Abstract

Abstract : Objective: Few studies have investigated the stability of residual hearing and speech perception outcomes in individuals who were implanted with a shorter electrode device. Study Design: Longitudinal, single‐subject design. Methods: Fifty subjects who received a Nucleus Hybrid (Cochlear, Sydney, Australia) short electrode cochlear implant (CI) and had a minimum of 2 years (and up to 15 years) of postoperative longitudinal experience were included in this study. Twenty‐three subjects received a Nucleus Hybrid S8 (S8); 14 subjects received a Nucleus Hybrid L24 (L24); and 13 received a Nucleus Hybrid S12 (S12). Audiometric thresholds and consonant‐nucleus‐consonant (CNC) words were collected pre‐ and postoperatively for up to 15 years for the S8 subjects and for up to 7 years for the S12 and L24 subjects. AzBio Sentences in multi‐talker babble was collected for up to 7 years on the S12 and L24 subjects. Results: Longitudinally, 83% of the S8 subjects, 92% of the S12 subjects, and 86% of the L24 subjects maintained a functional hearing pure‐tone average (PTA) (125–500 Hz). Predicted change using a piecewise linear mixed model in PTA over time showed a postoperative linear decrease in hearing for each group until 0.5 years, after which the PTA stabilizes and is maintained. The averaged individual data for CNC and AzBio sentences show a significant improvement in scores by 0.25 to 0.5 years postimplantation, after which scores start to reach their maximum. Conclusion: This long‐term study demonstrates that acoustic‐electric processing hearing and improvement in speech understanding in quiet and in noise can be accomplished and sustained for many years with a short electrode CI. Level of Evidence: 2C. Laryngoscope, 128:473–481, 2018