Localization ability with bimodal hearing aids and bilateral cochlear implants

Abstract

After successful cochlear implantation in one ear, some patients continue to use a hearing aid at the contralateral ear. They report an improved reception of speech, especially in noise, as well as a better perception of music when the hearing aid and cochlear implant are used in this bimodal combination. Some individuals in this bimodal patient group also report the impression of an improved localization ability. Similar experiences are reported by the group of bilateral cochlear implantees. In this study, a survey of 11 bimodally and 4 bilaterally equipped cochlear implant users was carried out to assess localization ability. Individuals in the bimodal implant group were all provided with the same type of hearing aid in the opposite ear, and subjects in the bilateral implant group used cochlear implants of the same manufacturer on each ear. Subjects adjusted the spot of a computer-controlled laser-pointer to the perceived direction of sound incidence in the frontal horizontal plane by rotating a trackball. Two subjects of the bimodal group who had substantial residual hearing showed localization ability in the bimodal configuration, whereas using each single device only the subject with better residual hearing was able to discriminate the side of sound origin. Five other subjects with more pronounced hearing loss displayed an ability for side discrimination through the use of bimodal aids, while four of them were already able to discriminate the side with a single device. Of the bilateral cochlear implant group one subject showed localization accuracy close to that of normal hearing subjects. This subject was also able to discriminate the side of sound origin using the first implanted device alone. The other three bilaterally equipped subjects showed limited localization ability using both devices. Among them one subject demonstrated a side-discrimination ability using only the first implanted device.

Restoring hearing symmetry with two cochlear implants or one cochlear implant and a contralateral hearing aid

“…Early reports suggested that listening with a CI and an HA might be better than listening with either device alone [54][55]. These two inputs apparently can be combined successfully and provide beneficial binaural hearing [56][57][58][59][60][61][62][63]. In a small sample, speech recognition in quiet and noise was reported for three subjects who had used a CI and an HA for more than 5 years [64].…”

“…Seeber and colleagues used an 11-loudspeaker array (100º arc) to evaluate horizontal plane localization in 11 postlingually deafened adults with bimodal devices [63]. The loudspeakers themselves were hidden from the participants, who indicated the sound source through use of a laser beam that could be placed anywhere along a 140º arc.…”

İşaret Dili Dersine Katılan Öğretmen Adaylarının Görüşlerine Göre Türk İşaret Dili Eğitiminin İncelenmesi

“…Türkiye'de her yıl yaklaşık olarak 2500 bebek işitme kaybı ile doğmaktadır (Şahlı ve Belgin, 2011). İşitme kayıplı çocuklarda, kaybın derecesine göre başta dil olmak üzere, sosyal, duygusal, iletişim ve eğitim alanlarında gecikme görülmektedir (Piştav-Akmeşe ve Acarlar, 2016; Piştav-Akmeşe ve Kirazlı, 2016b;Seeber, Baumann ve Fastl, 2004;Şahlı ve Belgin, 2011). İşitme kaybının derecesi arttıkça, çocukların konuşma üretimi ve sözcük dağarcığı azalmakta; okuma-yazma becerileri ile akademik başarıları düşmektedir (Diefendorf, 1996;Piştav-Akmeşe ve Kirazlı, 2016a).…”

Organización de un programa de implantes cocleares

“…A este paradigma de estimulación se le denomina estrategia bimodal. Con ella, se ha comprobado que estos pacientes alcanzan una mayor localización de los sonidos y mejores niveles de discriminación del lenguaje, tanto en ambiente de silencio como en ruido, en comparación con los obtenidos empleando audífo-nos o solamente un IC 7,8 .…”