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Patients utilizing a hearing aid and a cochlear implant: speech perception and localization
Richard S Tyler1, Aaron J Parkinson, Blake S Wilson
1Department of Otolaryngology, The University of Iowa, Iowa City 52242-1078, USA.
Ear and Hearing
|April 16, 2002
Summary
Cochlear implants and hearing aids used together can offer binaural hearing benefits. Performance with each device individually influences the ability to integrate sound for improved speech perception and localization.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Neuroscience
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Unilateral cochlear implant (CI) use is common.
- Many CI users also utilize a hearing aid (HA) in the contralateral ear.
- The binaural advantages of this combined device configuration are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate speech perception and sound localization in patients with a CI in one ear and an HA in the other.
- To explore the potential for binaural integration with this device combination.
Main Methods:
- Surveyed 111 CI patients regarding contralateral HA use.
- Tested three CI+HA users on word/sentence recognition and localization.
- Stimuli presented in quiet and noise (from various directions).
Main Results:
- One patient showed a binaural advantage for word recognition in quiet.
- Two patients demonstrated improved performance with both devices in noise.
- Two patients showed improved localization with both devices; one had good implant-only localization.
Conclusions:
- Combined CI and HA use can yield binaural benefits.
- Individual ear performance significantly impacts binaural integration potential.
- Further research is needed to optimize this audiological approach.