Is Age a Limiting Factor for Audiological Results in Active Middle Ear Implants?

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Audiology

Background:

• Active middle ear implants (AMEI) offer an alternative for hearing loss when hearing aids are unsuitable.
• Patient age may influence outcomes with implantable hearing devices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare audiological, surgical, quality of life, and sound quality outcomes in adults under 60 and 60 years or older receiving AMEI.
• To evaluate the efficacy of AMEI in different age groups.

Main Methods:

• Twenty adult patients undergoing AMEI were divided into two groups: <60 years and ≥60 years.
• Preoperative and 12-month postoperative audiological assessments (pure-tone average, speech discrimination score) were conducted.
• Quality of life and sound quality were assessed using validated questionnaires (NCIQ, GBI, HISQUI19).

Main Results:

• Both age groups showed significant improvements in functional gain and speech discrimination scores post-AMEI.
• Patients reported enhanced quality of life across all NCIQ domains and positive GBI scores.
• Mean HISQUI19 scores were high (97) in both age groups, indicating excellent sound quality perception.

Conclusions:

• Active middle ear implants are a successful hearing restoration option for older adults with conductive or mixed hearing loss.
• AMEI provides comparable audiological and subjective benefits across different adult age groups.
• AMEI implantation leads to significant improvements in hearing function and overall quality of life in elderly patients.