Open-set minimum auditory capability scores for House and Nucleus cochlear prostheses

This study addresses the following questions: Is there a difference in open-set recognition among patients using House and Nucleus devices? How many subjects are needed to determine statistically significant differences between devices? The subjects were 12 patients, six with House and six with Nucleus cochlear prostheses. Using open-set tests from the Minimum Auditory Capabilities Battery, the Nucleus group had significantly better scores than the House device group. Our sample size was adequate in part because the House device group scored near zero. To determine moderate differences between groups with scores of 10% or better, approximately 20 paired or 60 unpaired subjects would be needed in each group.