RESUMO
CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that electric-acoustic stimulation (EAS) significantly decreases the subjective impairment in speech perception. OBJECTIVES: To assess the subjective benefit of EAS over the first 12 months after EAS fitting using the Abbreviated Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit (APHAB). METHOD: Twenty-three EAS users, implanted with either the PULSAR(CI)(100) FLEX(EAS) provided with the DUET EAS processor or the COMBI40+ Medium provided with the TEMPO+ speech processor, were included. Electric stimulation was activated about 1 month postoperatively; ipsilateral acoustic stimulation was added 2 months thereafter. EAS benefit was measured preoperatively with only a hearing aid and postoperatively at EAS fitting and then 3, 6 and 12 months after EAS fitting using the APHAB. RESULTS: Subjects reported significant improvements in the global score with a mean decrease in impairment from 74% preoperatively to 45% after 3 months of EAS use. Furthermore, clinical relevance was demonstrated in multiple subscales between preoperative and first fitting reflecting a true benefit of EAS with a probability of 95%.
Assuntos
Estimulação Acústica/métodos , Implante Coclear/reabilitação , Estimulação Elétrica/métodos , Auxiliares de Audição , Perda Auditiva Bilateral/reabilitação , Percepção da Fala , Adulto , Idoso , Limiar Auditivo , Implante Coclear/psicologia , Terapia Combinada , Feminino , Audição , Perda Auditiva Bilateral/psicologia , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Satisfação do Paciente , Percepção da Altura Sonora , Psicoacústica , Inquéritos e Questionários , Adulto JovemRESUMO
Current cochlear implants can operate at high pulse rates. The effect of increasing pulse rate on speech performance is not yet clear. Habituation to low rates may affect the outcome. This paper presents the results of three subsequent studies using different experimental paradigms, applying the Nucleus CI24RE device, and conducted by ten European implant teams. Pulse rate per channel varied from 500 to 3500 pulses per second with ACE and from 1200 to 3500 pps with CIS strategy. The results showed that the first rate presented had little effect on the finally preferred rate. Lower rates were preferred. The effect of pulse rate on word scores of post-linguistic implantees was small; high rates tended to give lower scores. However, there were no significant differences between the word scores across subjects if collected at the individually preferred pulse rate. High pulse rates were preferred when the post-implantation threshold was low.