The signal-to-noise ratio assessment in cochlear implanted patients through the Italian Matrix Sentence test (Oldenburg test)

Abstract

Purpose: A lot of energy has been spent in advances in audiology to define a new strategy of diagnosis and rehabilitation in hearing-impaired patients, in particular for those rehabilitated with cochlear implants or hearing aids. The OLSA test or Matrix Sentence test is a new testing tool able to precisely define a signal-to-noise ratio in different clinical or diagnostic conditions. Spreading of this new test has a standardized level of reference which can help clinicians in comparing patients and data.

Method: Implanted patients with contralateral hearing aid use were enrolled in the recent Italian Matrix Sentence test validated for the Italian language. Patients with good perceptual outcomes without post-operative complications were asked to undergo the Italian Matrix Sentence test twice in a day section with or without a cochlear implant and/or contralateral hearing aids.

Results: Forty-five cochlear implanted patients with good outcomes and without major complications were enrolled in the present study to compare speech discrimination in noise with cochlear implants and/or hearing aids during bimodal or unimodal stimulation. Obviously, a significant difference was noticed in patients with cochlear implants or hearing aids when compared with patients without digital devices, as well as a statistically significant difference was found in patients with a cochlear implant only when compared with patients with hearing aids. Nevertheless, significant differences were found when comparing bimodal stimulation to unimodal stimulation with the cochlear implant: an ameliorative trend has been reported among patients with either the devices (hearing aids and cochlear implant).

Conclusion: The Italian Matrix Sentence test is useful and automated speech audiometry allows a comprehensive evaluation of perceptual abilities in hearing impaired patient. Nevertheless, gives important information among implanted patients especially in the adaptive mode for central comprehension of the signal in noise.

Keywords:

• Signal-to-noise ratio
• cochlear implant
• hearing aid
• Italian Matrix Sentence test
• Bimodal stimulation

Acknowledgements

We thank all supportive initiatives that allowed the present work, including patients, technicians and other specialists in the clinic. We also want to thank the support of Amplifon S.p.a., Cochlear Srl, Otometrics Natus Medical Srl, and Medel Srl.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

The present work was partly supported by PRIHTA 2013 IDECO, cooperative research between Veneto Region, Azienda Ospedaliera di Padova, Amplifon Spa and Cochlear Srl, and approved by the local ethical committee.