Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 29, 2025
Systematic Hearing Performance Evaluation Process for Adolescents with Cochlear Implantation at Early Ages
Published on: March 24, 2023
Contralateral hearing aid use in adult cochlear implant recipients: retrospective analysis of auditory outcomes
Griet Mertens1,2, Ellen Andries1,2, Charis Clement1
1Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Antwerp University Hospital, Antwerp, Belgium.
Objective:
To investigate retrospectively the frequency of usage of bimodal stimulation among cochlear implant (CI) users, as well its clinical benefit relative to unilateral use.
Design:
All subjects had been monitored with the clinical Minimal Outcome Measurements test battery.
Study Samples:
103 adults with bilateral postlingual profound sensorineural hearing loss and unilateral CI use were extracted from the local database. These were divided into two groups: those who only used a CI and those who used bimodal stimulation.
Results:
The preoperative contralateral residual hearing in the bimodal group was significantly better than that of the CI-only group. In both groups, speech perception in quiet and in noise improved after CI, with no significant difference between postoperative unimodal conditions. For the bimodal group, an additional significant improvement was found for the bimodal condition compared to the unimodal.
Conclusion:
Given the observed auditory benefit of bimodal stimulation in comparison to unimodal stimulation and given the finding that degree of residual hearing is not correlated with bimodal benefits, it is recommended to encourage CI recipients to continue contralateral HA use after CI. As a result of expanding CI criteria worldwide, the population of bimodal users is expected to grow in the near future.
