[Effect of cochlear implantation on tinnitus and the prognosis mode analysis]

Objective:To describe the effects of the possible related factors in unilateral cochlear implantation（CI） on tinnitus，and analysis the hearing and speech ability in different tinnitus prognosis mode. Method:The 70 post-lingual deafness CI patients（27.73±14.032 years old） in the clinical trial for LCI-20PI cochlear implant and LSP-20A sound processor project by a fast questionnaire about the tinnitus positive or negative respectively before the CI, 3rd, 6th, 9th and 12th months after the first mapping. 6 modes about tinnitus development were record: Type A（-to-）, no tinnitus before the CI and continued negative until the last follow-up; Type B（+ to-）, have tinnitus before CI and disappeared after the mapping; Type C（-to +）, no tinnitus before but appeared after the surgery; Type D（+ to-to +）, have tinnitus before the CI and disappeared during the continue follow-up, but finally the tinnitus show up again at last; Type E（-to + to-）, no tinnitus before and suffered from tinnitus after the CI surgery, but the noise disappeared at last; Type F（+ to +）, have the tinnitus in all the duration. Then we briefly analyzed the factors like age, gender, the duration of hearing loss, and the duration of hearing aids usage. Compare the characteristics in all the modes of tinnitus prognosis. Result:In this research CI treatment effect rate on tinnitus is 80%. The mean age of Type A （tinnitus from -to- ） group is （20.79 ±11.364） years old; Type B （tinnitus from + to-） group is （32.69±10.606） years old; Type C（tinnitus from-to +） group is （40.25±2.217） years old; Type D（tinnitus from + to-to +） group is （28.00±0） years old; Type E （tinnitus from-to + to-） group is （52.50±6.364） years old; Type F （tinnitus from + to +） group is （30.33±11.015） years old. And P<0.05 between the groups, while the severe-deaf-duration intergroup differences （P>0.05）. The mean speech discrimination rates are all elevate after 12 months and no statistical significance between the groups. But the E group has a lowst elevation in mean pure tone threshold （22.50±3.535 ） dB HL, when the F group has the best promotion （56.04±10.649 ） dB HL, and the difference between the groups is statistically significant. Conclusion:The cochlear implantation could eliminate tinnitus in 80% patients in this research. The better elevation of hearing and speech ability in the patients with persist tinnitus pre-and post-CI usage may related to amount and functions of the residual auditory nerves. Age may be an important factor in tinnitus generation, which may need more explanation and attention during the rehabilitation period.