Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 23, 2026
Electrically Evoked Stapedius Reflex Measurements in Cochlear Implantation and Its Application in the Postoperative Fitting Process
Published on: June 21, 2024
Balancing current levels in children with bilateral cochlear implants using electrophysiological and behavioral
Karen A Gordon1, Parvaneh Abbasalipour2, Blake C Papsin1
1Archie's Cochlear Implant Laboratory, The Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Room 6D08, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 1X8, Canada; Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Toronto, St. George Campus, 190 Elizabeth St, Rm 3S438, RFE Building, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 2N2, Canada.
Children with bilateral cochlear implants (CIs) can achieve balanced sound perception. Matching physiological responses, like wave eV amplitudes, helps predict balanced levels, improving CI outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Neuroscience
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Children with bilateral cochlear implants (CIs) often have abnormal auditory development.
- They primarily use interaural level differences (ILDs) for sound localization.
- Mismatched CI levels can distort ILDs, reducing bilateral CI benefits.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if physiological or behavioral measures can predict balanced bilateral sound perception in children.
- To investigate methods for optimizing interaural level differences in bilateral CI users.
Main Methods:
- Twenty-four children with prior unilateral CI use underwent bilateral implantation.
- Balanced bilateral levels were identified using a 50/50 lateralization task.
- Physiological measures (wave eV amplitudes) and behavioral measures (loudness judgments) were compared to predict balanced levels.
Main Results:
- Matched wave eV amplitudes predicted balanced bilateral levels in 69% of children.
- Similar loudness judgments predicted balanced levels in only 46% of children.
- Physiological measures proved more reliable for predicting balanced perception.
Conclusions:
- Matching physiological responses, specifically wave eV amplitudes, can achieve balanced bilateral sound perception.
- This method offers a clinical approach to approximating balanced/centered levels for bilateral CIs.
- Optimizing ILDs through physiological measures can enhance bilateral CI benefits for children.
