Correlation between Speech Perception Outcomes after Cochlear Implantation and Postoperative Acoustic and Electric Hearing Thresholds.

ABSTRACT

The reliable prediction of cochlear implant (CI) speech perception outcomes is highly relevant and can facilitate the monitoring of postoperative hearing performance. To date, multiple audiometric, demographic, and surgical variables have shown some degree of correlation with CI speech perception outcomes. In the present study, postsurgical acoustic and electric hearing thresholds that are routinely assessed in clinical practice were compared to CI speech perception outcomes in order to reveal possible markers of postoperative cochlear health. A total of 237 CI recipients were included in this retrospective monocentric study. An analysis of the correlation of postoperative pure-tone averages (PTAs) and electric CI fitting thresholds (T-/C-levels) with speech perception scores for monosyllabic words in quiet was performed. Additionally, a correlation analysis was performed for postoperative acoustic thresholds in intracochlear electrocochleography (EcochG) and speech recognition scores in a smaller group (n = 14). The results show that neither postoperative acoustic hearing thresholds nor electric thresholds correlate with postoperative speech perception outcomes, and they do not serve as independent predictors of speech perception outcomes. By contrast, the postoperative intracochlear total EcochG response was significantly correlated with speech perception. Since the EcochG recordings were only performed in a small population, a large study is required to clarify the usefulness of this promising predictive parameter.