Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 25, 2026
Systematic Hearing Performance Evaluation Process for Adolescents with Cochlear Implantation at Early Ages
Published on: March 24, 2023
Comparison of speech perception performance between Sprint/Esprit 3G and Freedom processors in children implanted
Rosamaria Santarelli1, Vincenzo Magnavita, Roberta De Filippi
1Department of Medical and Surgical Specialities, University of Padua, Padua. rosamaria.santarelli@unipd.it
Objective:
To compare speech perception performance in children fitted with previous generation Nucleus sound processor, Sprint or Esprit 3G, and the Freedom, the most recently released system from the Cochlear Corporation that features a larger input dynamic range.
Study Design:
Prospective intrasubject comparative study.
Setting:
University Medical Center.
Subjects:
Seventeen prelingually deafened children who had received the Nucleus 24 cochlear implant and used the Sprint or Esprit 3G sound processor.
Intervention:
Cochlear implantation with Cochlear device.
Main Outcome Measures:
Speech perception was evaluated at baseline (Sprint, n = 11; Esprit 3G, n = 6) and after 1 month's experience with the Freedom sound processor. Identification and recognition of disyllabic words and identification of vowels were performed via recorded voice in quiet (70 dB [A]), in the presence of background noise at various levels of signal-to-noise ratio (+10, +5, 0, -5) and at a soft presentation level (60 dB [A]). Consonant identification and recognition of disyllabic words, trisyllabic words, and sentences were evaluated in live voice. Frequency discrimination was measured in a subset of subjects (n = 5) by using an adaptive, 3-interval, 3-alternative, forced-choice procedure.
Results:
Identification of disyllabic words administered at a soft presentation level showed a significant increase when switching to the Freedom compared with the previously worn processor in children using the Sprint or Esprit 3G. Identification and recognition of disyllabic words in the presence of background noise as well as consonant identification and sentence recognition increased significantly for the Freedom compared with the previously worn device only in children fitted with the Sprint. Frequency discrimination was significantly better when switching to the Freedom compared with the previously worn processor.
Conclusion:
Serial comparisons revealed that that speech perception performance evaluated in children aged 5 to 15 years was superior with the Freedom than previous generations of Nucleus sound processors. These differences are deemed to ensue from an increased input dynamic range, a feature that offers potentially enhanced phonemic discrimination.
