Combined acoustic and electric hearing: Preserving residual acoustic hearing

Abstract

The topic of this review is the strategy of preserving residual acoustic hearing in the implanted ear to provide combined electrical stimulation and acoustic hearing as a rehabilitative strategy for sensorineural hearing loss. This chapter will concentrate on research done with the Iowa/Nucleus 10mm Hybrid device, but we will also attempt to summarize strategies and results from other groups around the world who use slightly different approaches. A number of studies have shown that preserving residual acoustic hearing in the implanted ear is a realistic goal for many patients with severe high-frequency hearing loss. The addition of the electric stimulation to their existing acoustic hearing can provide increased speech recognition for these patients. In addition, the preserved acoustic hearing can offer considerable advantages, as compared to a traditional cochlear implant, for tasks such as speech recognition in backgrounds or appreciation of music and other situations where the poor frequency resolution of electric stimulation has been a disadvantage.

Prosody perception and musical pitch discrimination in adults using cochlear implants

“…The amplified residual hearing of CI-2 undoubtedly accounts for his success and for his ability to play in a musical ensemble. The contribution of hearing aids in the unimplanted ear to music perception has been noted previously (Looi, McDermott, McKay, & Hickson, 2007;Turner, Reiss & Gantz, 2008). …”

Guía clínica para la indicación de implantes cocleares en la Comunidad Foral de Navarra

“…Esta circunstancia permite llevar a cabo en el mismo oído y de forma simultánea, una estimulación eléctrica con el IC y acústica con el audífono (estimulación híbrida o electroacústica). Los resultados obtenidos bajo este paradigma de estimulación indican que los pacientes son capaces de escuchar significativamente mejor, especialmente en ambiente de ruido, y alcanzar una percepción musical satisfactoria 18,19 . Los criterios de inclusión de estos candidatos son los siguientes: 1) 6 años de edad o mayor, 2) Pérdida de audición neurosensorial postlocutiva de severa a profunda en las frecuencias > 1500 Hz y pérdi-da de audición neurosensorial postlocutiva de leve a moderada en las frecuencias > 500 Hz, sin restricciones audiométricas para el oído contralateral, 3) Duración de la hipoacusia < 30 años, 4) Reconocimiento de palabras bisílabas con ayuda (prótesis ajustada correctamente) en el oído a implantar entre un 10 y un 50%, en silencio y a 65dB SPL.…”

Robustness against distortion of fundamental frequency cues in simulated electro-acoustic hearing

“…For monaural listening, differences in both F0 and onset (and, to a lesser extent, offset) between target and masker improve performance (Carlyon, 2004), and F0 cues in particular are likely to be better represented by acoustic hearing than electrical hearing (Turner et al, 2008).…”