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Systematic Hearing Performance Evaluation Process for Adolescents with Cochlear Implantation at Early Ages
Published on: March 24, 2023
696
Evidence-Based Recommendation for Bilateral Cochlear Implantation in Adults
Agnes Au1,2, Richard C Dowell1,2,3
1The HEARing Cooperative Research Center, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
American Journal of Audiology
|April 10, 2020
Summary
Adults with cochlear implants (CI) may benefit from a second CI if their non-implanted ear provides less than 19% benefit. This study guides decisions about pursuing bilateral cochlear implantation for improved hearing outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Otorhinolaryngology
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Many adult cochlear implant (CI) users achieve better hearing with bimodal hearing (CI plus hearing aid).
- Bilateral CIs have shown benefits in speech perception, sound localization, and understanding speech in noise.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify speech perception outcomes for bimodal and bilateral cochlear implant (CI) users.
- To provide guidance for adults considering a second CI.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of speech perception outcomes for 1,394 adults with acquired hearing loss who received a CI.
- Analysis of data from the Melbourne Cochlear Implant Clinic (2000-2015).
Main Results:
- Bimodal and bilateral CI users significantly outperformed unilateral CI users in consonant-vowel-consonant word recognition in quiet.
- For bilateral CI users, first CI word recognition scores predicted second CI scores.
- Bimodal users with <19% benefit from the non-implanted ear were predicted to perform better with a second CI.
Conclusions:
- Adult cochlear implant (CI) users scoring <19% on consonant-vowel-consonant words in the non-implanted ear may benefit from a second CI.
- Decision-making for a second CI should also incorporate age, hearing goals, medical factors, and residual hearing risks.
