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Assessment of the contralateral routing of signal system in unilateral cochlear implantation
Author(s) -
Guevara N.,
Grech C.,
Gahide I.,
Gallego S.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
clinical otolaryngology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.914
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1749-4486
pISSN - 1749-4478
DOI - 10.1111/coa.12404
Subject(s) - medicine , audiology , speech perception , hearing aid , cochlear implant , binaural recording , cochlear implantation , noise (video) , perception , psychology , neuroscience , artificial intelligence , computer science , image (mathematics)
Objectives The purpose of this study was to evaluate the contribution of a contralateral routing of signal (CROS) system in unilateral cochlear implants ( CI ) users. Design Single‐centre prospective interventional study. Setting Tertiary referral centre. Participants Eight unilateral cochlear implants patients with >30% speech perception in silence and >6 months’ implantation. Main outcome measures Free‐field speech perception assessed by ‘vowel–consonant–vowel’ pseudoword test and free‐field spatial localisation by Fournier lists on five loudspeakers (in silence and in noise). Subjective benefit assessed on the abbreviated profile of hearing aid benefit (APHAB) questionnaire. These tests were performed on the 1st and 15th day of the trial (denoted by D1 and D15, respectively). Results Contralateral routing of signal‐cochlear implants provided significant improvement in speech perception at D1 and D15 in silence ( P , respectively, 0.03 and 0.025) and in noise ( P 0.012 and 0.036). No improvement in spatial localisation was demonstrated. The abbreviated profile of hearing aid benefit quality of life questionnaire administered at D15 showed overall benefit and a significant difference in ease of communication with versus without contralateral routing of signal. By 6 months, however, 75% of the patients (6/8) had abandoned the system due to trouble in noise (5/6), trouble with the device's wiring (3/6) and onset of headache (4/6). Conclusion Contralateral routing of signal‐cochlear implants is an interesting novel option, restoring a binaural effect and providing improved speech perception and non‐negligible comfort of hearing in certain patients, without the medical and economic costs of bilateral cochlear implants. However, the drawbacks (especially the difficulty of modulating the signal‐to‐noise ratio) do not presently allow it to be an effective alternative to bilateral cochlear implants.