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Trade-offs between better hearing and better cosmetics.
Richard S Tyler1, Shelley A Witt, Camille C Dunn
1Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Iowa, Iowa City 52241, USA. rich-tyler@uiowa.edu
American Journal of Audiology
|May 21, 2005
Summary
A cochlear implant patient chose less effective ear-level processors for cosmetic reasons over body-worn ones. This study quantifies the performance trade-off, finding significant differences in speech perception and localization.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Biomedical Engineering
- Otolaryngology
Background:
- Bilateral cochlear implant users often face choices between speech processor form factors.
- Cosmetic preferences and convenience can influence device selection, potentially impacting auditory performance.
Observation:
- A case study explored a patient's deliberate use of ear-level processors over superior-performing body-worn ones.
- The patient prioritized cosmetics and convenience, despite acknowledging better hearing with body-worn devices programmed with advanced combination encoder (ACE) strategy.
Findings:
- Significant improvements in speech perception (monosyllabic phonemes in quiet) and sound localization were observed with body-worn processors (using ACE strategy) compared to ear-level processors (using spectral PEAK [SPEAK] strategy).
- The patient perceived speech sounds as clearer with body-worn devices, though sentence reception in noise showed no significant difference.
Implications:
- Clinicians should discuss performance-cosmetic trade-offs with cochlear implant patients, offering choices to potentially improve compliance.
- Patient-centered care may involve balancing audiological outcomes with individual preferences for device wear.