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Electrically Evoked Stapedius Reflex Measurements in Cochlear Implantation and Its Application in the Postoperative Fitting Process
Published on: June 21, 2024
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[Listening effort with cochlear implants: Unilateral versus bilateral use].
J Schnabl1, B Bumann, M Rehbein
1Universitätsklinik für Hals-, Nasen- und Ohrenheilkunde, Universitätsklinikum St. Pölten; Karl Landsteiner Privatuniversität für Gesundheitswissenschaften, Propst Führer-Str. 4, 3100, St. Pölten, Österreich, johannes.schnabl@stpoelten.lknoe.at.
HNO
|July 15, 2015
Summary
Bilateral cochlear implants (CI) may slightly reduce listening effort compared to unilateral CI, though factors like background noise and listening duration significantly impact perceived effort in CI users.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Neuroscience
- Rehabilitation
Background:
- Listening effort is a crucial factor in the quality of life for cochlear implant (CI) users.
- Understanding the impact of CI configuration (unilateral vs. bilateral) on listening effort is essential for optimizing auditory rehabilitation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the influence of bilateral cochlear implants (CI) versus unilateral CI on self-reported listening effort.
- To investigate the impact of background noise and listening duration on listening effort in CI users.
Main Methods:
- A questionnaire assessed self-reported listening effort in 34 bilateral and 38 unilateral adult CI users across nine listening situations.
- Participants rated listening effort on a six-step scale.
- Repeated measures ANOVA analyzed the effects of background noise, listening duration, age, and time since implantation.
Main Results:
- Background noise and listening duration significantly influenced listening effort (p=0.024 and p=0.001, respectively).
- The difference in listening effort between unilateral and bilateral CI users was not statistically significant (p=0.17).
- However, bilateral CI users reported lower listening effort across all situations compared to unilateral users (binomial test: p=0.002).
Conclusions:
- Bilateral CI use demonstrates a trend towards reducing listening effort.
- While not statistically significant, the observed reduction suggests a potential benefit over unilateral CI use.
- Environmental factors like noise and duration play a significant role in perceived listening effort.
