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[Speech discrimination with bilateral cochlear implants in noisy conditions].
1Division of Otorhinolaryngology, Department of Surgery, Queen Mary Hospital, University of Hong Kong Medical Centre, Hong Kong, China. kinkwau@hkucc.hku.hk
Zhonghua Er Bi Yan Hou Ke Za Zhi
|May 24, 2003
Summary
Bilateral cochlear implants significantly enhance speech discrimination of Cantonese lexical tones compared to unilateral implants. This study highlights the advantages of binaural hearing for cochlear implant users across various signal-to-noise ratios.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Neuroscience
- Speech-Language Pathology
Context:
- Cochlear implants are vital for hearing restoration.
- Understanding speech in noise remains a challenge for implant users.
- Bilateral cochlear implantation is increasingly common.
Purpose:
- To compare speech discrimination of Cantonese lexical tones in patients with unilateral versus bilateral cochlear implants.
- To evaluate performance across a range of signal-to-noise (S/N) ratios.
Summary:
- Speech discrimination scores for Cantonese lexical tones were assessed in two patients.
- Bilateral cochlear implants yielded higher scores than unilateral implants, especially in noisy conditions (0 to -15 S/N ratios).
- Mean scores for bilateral implants ranged from 96% ( +15 S/N) to 54% (-15 S/N), while monaural scores were lower.
Impact:
- Bilateral cochlear implants offer superior speech discrimination, particularly for tonal languages.
- Findings underscore the benefits of binaural hearing for cochlear implant recipients.
- This research supports the clinical recommendation of bilateral cochlear implantation for improved auditory function.