Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 2, 2025
06:04
Systematic Hearing Performance Evaluation Process for Adolescents with Cochlear Implantation at Early Ages
Published on: March 24, 2023
387
Masked Speech Perception with Bone Conduction Device, Contralateral Routing of Signals Hearing Aid, and Cochlear
Thomas Wesarg1, Iris Kuntz1, Lorenz Jung1
1Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg in Breisgau, Germany.
Audiology & Neuro-Otology
|February 22, 2024
Summary
Cochlear implants (CI) significantly improve speech understanding in noise for single-sided deafness (SSD) compared to unaided conditions. Contralateral routing of signals (CROS) and bone conduction devices (BCD) offer limited benefits, with CROS potentially hindering sound localization.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Neurosurgery
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Single-sided deafness (SSD) treatment options include contralateral routing of signals (CROS) hearing aids, bone conduction devices (BCD), and cochlear implants (CI).
- Evaluating speech understanding in noise and binaural benefits across these treatments is crucial for patient outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare speech understanding in noise and binaural benefits in adults with postlingual SSD.
- To assess outcomes with unaided baseline, CROS, BCD, and CI.
- To investigate the impact of masker type on speech understanding.
Main Methods:
- Prospective study with 12 participants.
- Assessed speech reception thresholds (SRTs) in five spatial configurations using two masker types (two-talker babble and speech-shaped noise).
- Evaluated unaided, CROS, and BCD preoperatively; assessed CI at 1, 3, and 6 months post-activation.
Main Results:
- Cochlear implantation (CI) showed significant improvements in SRTs across all spatial configurations for both masker types compared to unaided baseline.
- CI provided substantial binaural benefits, including head shadow, summation, and squelch effects, particularly at 6 months post-activation.
- Contralateral routing of signals (CROS) offered limited head shadow benefit but negatively impacted squelch effect; bone conduction devices (BCD) showed minimal binaural benefit.
Conclusions:
- Cochlear implants (CI) provide significant benefits for masked speech perception in single-sided deafness (SSD) across all assessed binaural effects.
- Benefits from CROS and BCD devices are more limited compared to CI.
- CROS device usage can be detrimental to the squelch effect, impacting sound localization.
