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Published on: January 9, 2019
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Electric Acoustic Versus Electric-Only Stimulation in Full-Length Lateral Wall Cochlear Array Recipients With
Todd A Hillman1, Douglas A Chen1, Kristin M Rathe1
1Pittsburgh Ear Associates, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Summary
Cochlear implant recipients with preserved low-frequency hearing may benefit from electric-acoustic stimulation (EAS) even after electric-only use. Patients showed better word recognition with EAS, preferring it over electric-only stimulation.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Neurosurgery
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Cochlear implantation (CI) aims to restore hearing in severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss.
- Preserving low-frequency hearing post-CI allows for potential electric-acoustic stimulation (EAS).
- The benefit of EAS in patients with prior electric-only stimulation is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of EAS in CI recipients with residual low-frequency hearing, following a period of electric-only stimulation.
- To compare speech perception and subjective outcomes between electric-only, EAS with frequency overlap (EAS-A), and EAS without overlap (EAS-B) programming.
Main Methods:
- A prospective, crossover clinical study was conducted in a private practice setting.
- Participants with residual low-frequency hearing received sequential programming: electric-only, EAS-A, and EAS-B.
- Speech perception (CNC, AzBio) and subjective measures (CCIQ, APHAB) were assessed for each condition.
Main Results:
- Twelve participants completed the study, with 16 implanted ears analyzed.
- Significantly better CNC word recognition was observed with EAS-A (71.6%) compared to electric-only (65.5%) and EAS-B (68%) (p < 0.05).
- A significant preference for EAS strategies over electric-only stimulation was reported (p = 0.04).
Conclusions:
- EAS may offer an advantage over electric-only stimulation for CI users with low-frequency hearing preservation.
- This benefit persists even after an initial period of electric-only stimulation.
- Further research is warranted to optimize EAS programming for this patient group.
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