Reduction in High-Frequency Hearing Aid Gain Can Improve Performance in Patients With Contralateral Cochlear Implant:...

Area of Science:

• Audiology
• Hearing Science
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Bimodal hearing, combining a cochlear implant (CI) with a hearing aid (HA), can be challenging for some users.
• Traditional HA fittings may not optimize performance in bimodal configurations, leading to poorer outcomes for certain individuals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if modifying HA gain settings, specifically reducing gain above 2000 Hz, can enhance speech perception in bimodal users.
• To determine if an alternative HA fitting strategy improves outcomes for patients with suboptimal bimodal performance.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective chart review of 6 bimodal stimulation users over 6 months.
• Participants included those with poorer bimodal performance and those with improved performance using traditional HA fittings.
• HA gain was adjusted above 2000 Hz, and speech perception scores were compared pre- and post-modification.

Main Results:

• All participants receiving the modified HA fitting showed improved speech perception scores.
• The modified HA fitting in the bimodal condition outperformed the traditional HA fitting.

Conclusions:

• Modifying HA gain above 2000 Hz is a promising strategy for improving bimodal hearing outcomes.
• This approach may benefit CI users who experience reduced speech perception with traditional HA fittings in bimodal configurations.