13th Speech in Noise Workshop, 20-21 January 2022, Virtual Conference 13th Speech in Noise Workshop, 20-21 January 2022, Virtual Conference

P12 Acceptable noise level comparison in pediatrics with cochlear implant and Bimodal fitting users

Samin Ashjaei, Hadi Hadipour
Shahid Beheshti Medical University, Tehran, Iran | Soroush Otolaryngology and Hearing Clinic, Tehran, Iran

Hamid Jalilvand
Shahid Beheshti Medical University, Tehran, Iran

(a) Presenting

Background and aim: Difficulty in understanding speech in the presence of noise, despite providing amplification, is one of the main complaints of hearing-impaired patients. Due to profound hearing loss in cochlear implant users, they are presumed to need higher signal-to-noise ratio for better performance. Wearing a hearing aid in opposite ear, which is called bimodal fitting, is a preferred way for cochlear implant users for the following reasons: (1) Prevents auditory nerve degeneration for possible next cochlear implant surgery; (2) As a complement in aided frequency range, more likely in lower frequencies; (3) Less invasive way to provide binaural hearing that can help speech-in-noise recognition. Acceptable noise level as a reliable test to assess noise tolerance while following speech, has not been used for bimodal vs. cochlear implant in pediatrics. The goal of this study was to determine whether bimodal using can help cochlear implanted pediatrics for more noise acceptance.

Subjects and methods: This descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 13 pediatrics with profound sensory neural hearing loss, with mean age of 8.5 years. Participants were cochlear implant users who wear a hearing aid for at least 4 hours a day in their opposite ear. Audiometry test was done in aided and unaided condition first. Then, Farsi Acceptable noise level test was conducted. Independent and paired t-tests and also repeated measures ANOVA were used to compare the results in two conditions.

Results: Most comfortable level is reduced by 1 dB in bimodal situations. Accepted background noise level while following continuous speech is increased for almost 0.5 dB. Acceptable noise level is reduced significantly.

Conclusion: The present study showed that cochlear implanted children with well aided hearing thresholds have acceptable noise level results almost like normal hearing ones. Bimodal fitting leads to more noise tolerance which can result in better speech in noise performance.

Last modified 2022-01-24 16:11:02