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Investigating Bimodal Fitting Solutions in Children
Julia Reid1, Robert T Dwyer2, Smita Agrawal2
1Potomac River Clinic, The River School, Washington, DC.
American Journal of Audiology
|May 5, 2025
Summary
This study explored bimodal hearing aid fittings for pediatric cochlear implant users. Individualized hearing aid fitting formulas showed promise for optimizing speech recognition in bimodal recipients.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Hearing Science
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Pediatric cochlear implantation often involves bimodal hearing, using one cochlear implant and one hearing aid.
- Established fitting formulas like Desired Sensation Level (DSL) v5.0 are commonly used, but their optimization for bimodal configurations requires investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of a dedicated bimodal hearing aid and fitting formula in pediatric cochlear implant recipients.
- To compare different fitting formulas and hearing aid types for bimodal hearing.
Main Methods:
- Experiment 1 involved five children assessing four hearing aid fittings using various formulas (Adaptive Phonak Digital Bimodal [APDB], DSL v5.0) and hearing aid types.
- Speech recognition was measured in quiet and noise.
- Experiment 2 retested two participants with an updated bimodal system.
Main Results:
- Bimodal speech recognition in quiet was consistent across fitting formulas in both experiments.
- In Experiment 1, speech recognition in noise also showed similarity across formulas, but individual differences were noted.
- Experiment 2 indicated that optimized APDB improved speech recognition in noise compared to standard APDB.
Conclusions:
- Preliminary findings suggest that individualized selection of hearing aid fitting formula settings is valuable for pediatric bimodal recipients.
- Further research into tailored fitting strategies may enhance auditory rehabilitation outcomes.

