Outcomes of Adolescents With a Short Electrode Cochlear Implant With Preserved Residual Hearing

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine if adolescents with preserved residual low-frequency hearing can develop improved speech perception and maintain localization abilities by combining their acoustic hearing with electrical processing from a short electrode cochlear implant. Study Design: Repeated-measure, single-subject experiment. Setting: Research hospital. Patients: Adolescents with sensorineural hearing loss with a pure-tone average (PTA) between 60 and 90 dB HL between 125 and 1500 Hz and profound loss at higher frequencies Intervention(s): rehabilitative. Main Outcome Measure(s): Five adolescents received a short electrode cochlear implant in their poorer ear. Audiometric, speech perception in quiet (CNC words), localization, speech production, and language outcomes were collected pre-and postoperatively at 4, 8, 12, and 24 months. Results: Functional hearing preservation was accomplished in all subjects at initial activation and was maintained through 24 months. In the Combined and Hybrid conditions, all subjects showed significant improvements by 4 months postimplantation, with exception of Subject 2 in the Combined condition, who showed a significant improvement by 8 months postimplantation. Results also indicated that all subjects continue to have localization abilities postimplantation. Conclusions: All of the subjects have benefitted from the combined electric and acoustic processing for speech perception abilities. The results from this study suggest that it could be worthwhile to consider acoustic and electric hearing in the adolescent population that have some low-frequency residual hearing and are struggling with hearing aids.