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Original Articles

The effect of an active transcutaneous bone conduction device on spatial release from masking

ORCID Icon, ORCID Icon & ORCID Icon
Pages 348-359 | Received 29 Oct 2018, Accepted 10 Dec 2019, Published online: 24 Dec 2019
 

Abstract

Objective: The aim was to quantify the effect of the experimental active transcutaneous Bone Conduction Implant (BCI) on spatial release from masking (SRM) in subjects with bilateral or unilateral conductive and mixed hearing loss.

Design: Measurements were performed in a sound booth with five loudspeakers at 0°, +/−30° and +/−150° azimuth. Target speech was presented frontally, and interfering speech from either the front (co-located) or surrounding (separated) loudspeakers. SRM was calculated as the difference between the separated and the co-located speech recognition threshold (SRT).

Study Sample: Twelve patients (aged 22–76 years) unilaterally implanted with the BCI were included.

Results: A positive SRM, reflecting a benefit of spatially separating interferers from target speech, existed for all subjects in unaided condition, and for nine subjects (75%) in aided condition. Aided SRM was lower compared to unaided in nine of the subjects. There was no difference in SRM between patients with bilateral and unilateral hearing loss. In aided situation, SRT improved only for patients with bilateral hearing loss.

Conclusions: The BCI fitted unilaterally in patients with bilateral or unilateral conductive/mixed hearing loss seems to reduce SRM. However, data indicates that SRT is improved or maintained for patients with bilateral and unilateral hearing loss, respectively.

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Maria Drott, Kerstin Henricson and Ann-Charlotte Persson for assistance in performing the audiological measurements, and the study subjects for their participation.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by the Hasselblad Foundation and the Swedish Research Council (VR) with number 621-2013-6027.