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Auditory brainstem implant in postlingual postmeningitic patients
Yildirim Bayazit1, Julie Kosaner2, Fatih Celenk3
1Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Medipol University Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey.
The Laryngoscope
|October 21, 2015
Summary
Auditory brainstem implants (ABI) offered some benefit to over half of postlingual patients with meningitis-induced hearing loss. However, outcomes varied, with some patients experiencing no benefit due to factors like auditory deprivation.
Area of Science:
- Otolaryngology
- Neuroscience
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Bacterial meningitis can lead to cochlear ossification and profound sensorineural hearing loss.
- Postlingual deafness in these patients presents unique challenges for hearing restoration.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the outcomes of auditory brainstem implants (ABI) in postlingual patients with postmeningitic hearing loss.
- To assess the effectiveness of ABI in patients with ossified cochleae due to meningitis.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of nine postlingual patients with meningitis-induced bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and cochlear ossification who received an ABI (MED-EL or Neurelec) between 2007-2014.
- Patients were evaluated using auditory tests including Ling 5 sound detection, sound field implant thresholds, and closed-set word/sentence recognition tests.
Main Results:
- Five out of nine patients (55.5%) reported some benefit from the ABI.
- Three of the five consistent users experienced good benefit, while two reported subjective benefits like "feeling sound."
- Four patients (44.5%) experienced no perceivable benefit and became non-users.
Conclusions:
- An auditory brainstem implant (ABI) can provide hearing restoration benefits for some postlingual patients with meningitis-related ossified cochleae.
- Suboptimal outcomes may stem from electrode deactivation, prolonged auditory deprivation, or meningitis-related neural damage.
