Auditory Speech Perception Tests in Relation to the Coding Strategy in Cochlear Implant.

Area of Science:

• Audiology
• Neuroscience
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Evaluating auditory perception in cochlear implant (CI) users is crucial for understanding acoustic signal processing and sound recognition.
• Postlingual hearing loss affects sound perception and communication, necessitating effective CI strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate differences in auditory speech perception in postlingual hearing loss patients using two CI speech coding strategies.
• To analyze speech perception and handicap perception in relation to the employed CI speech coding strategy.

Main Methods:

• A prospective, cross-sectional cohort study design was employed.
• Ten CI users with postlingual hearing loss participated.
• Speech perception tests and the Hearing Handicap Inventory for Adults were used for characterization.

Main Results:

• No significant differences were found when comparing subject age, age at hearing loss acquisition, etiology, hearing deprivation duration, CI use duration, and mean hearing threshold with speech coding strategy shifts.
• No relationship was observed between reduced handicap perception and improved speech perception across both tested speech coding strategies.

Conclusions:

• The evaluated speech coding strategies showed no significant differences in their impact on CI users.
• No significant relationship was found between the speech coding strategies and the studied variables (age, hearing loss characteristics, time since implantation).