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Updated: May 20, 2026
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Performing Intracochlear Electrocochleography During Cochlear Implantation
Published on: March 8, 2022
Clinical trial results with the MED-EL fine structure processing coding strategy in experienced cochlear implant
Joachim Müller1, Stefan Brill, Rudolf Hagen
1Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Klinik und Poliklinik für Hals-Nasen-Ohren-Heilkunde, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany. joachim.mueller@med.uni-muenchen.de
Summary
The new fine structure processing strategy (FSP) for cochlear implants matches or exceeds previous CIS+ and HDCIS strategies in speech perception and sound quality. Users preferred FSP for listening to speech and music.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Biomedical Engineering
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Cochlear implant (CI) technology continuously evolves to improve auditory perception.
- Previous coding strategies like CIS+ and HDCIS have limitations in speech and sound quality.
- The fine structure processing (FSP) strategy represents a new advancement in CI signal processing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To objectively and subjectively evaluate the performance of the novel fine structure processing (FSP) strategy.
- To compare FSP against established coding strategies: CIS+ and HDCIS.
- To assess improvements in speech perception, pitch scaling, and user-reported sound quality.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 46 adult cochlear implant users with at least 6 months of experience participated.
- Participants underwent randomized speech perception tests in noise, pitch scaling, and subjective questionnaires.
- Assessments were conducted acutely and after 3 months of FSP use.
Main Results:
- FSP demonstrated comparable or superior performance to CIS+ in speech perception, excelling in vowel and monosyllabic word discrimination.
- FSP performed equally to HDCIS in all speech perception tests and pitch scaling.
- Subjective evaluations indicated that FSP provided sound quality that was at least as good as, and often better than, HDCIS.
Conclusions:
- FSP offers enhanced understanding of vowels and monosyllabic words compared to CIS+.
- Subjective user feedback reveals a strong preference for FSP in listening to speech and music.
- FSP represents a significant improvement in cochlear implant sound processing and user experience.
