COMPUTER-AIDED REHABILITATION OF AUDITORY-PERCEPTION AFTER COCHLEAR IMPLANT OR HEARING-AID FITTING

A newly developed computer-aided rehabilitation programme simplifies the training of auditory perception after cochlear implant or hearing-aid fitting. The programme is interactive, hierarchically structured, applicable without any computer knowledge and adjustable to individual requirements of each patient. There are two versions of the programme, one for clinical and one for home use. A transfer option provides simple data exchange of results and new training exercises via floppy disk. The present experience shows that, with this programme, auditory perception is improved more rapidly than with traditional therapy and that the patients are strongly motivated and concentrated over a long period in order ''to beat the computer''. The home version is appreciated for making possible schedule-free training without inconvenient and time-consuming trips to the therapist.