Electroacoustic cochlear stimulation advantages in severe-profound hearing loss

Abstract

Objectives: Electroacoustic stimulation allow very interesting performances mainly in noisy condition for bisyllabic words recognition. In this paper, we studied some very difficult timbric tasks in noise conditions.

Methods: We studied 10 adult patients with Hybrid implants (group A-Hybrid implants) and 70 adult patients with traditional ones (group B-Traditional implants). We made the following tests in noise: (1) Bisyllabic words recognition; (2) Voice kinds recognition; and (3) Musical instruments recognition.

Results: Mean results in quiet: test 1: 63% for group A, 42% for group B; test 2: 75% group A, 33% group B; test 3: 55% group A, 20% group B. We obtained a p < .05 for tests 2 and 3.

Conclusions: Hybrid patients seem to have better results mainly in noisy timbric tasks. This should be explained by the better quality of low frequency stimulation. The presence of good residual hearing on low frequencies should orientate surgeons and audiologists to consider electroacoustic stimulation procedures.

Keywords:

• Hybrid cochlear implants
• residual hearing
• speech recognition
• voice kinds recognition
• musical instruments recognition

Disclosure statement

Authors declare no conflict of interests, no financial relationships that could influence authors actions, no financial interest, relationships or affiliations relevant to the subject of the manuscript.