Clinical Research Studies

Cochlear implants (CIs) have the potential to restore high frequency hearing electrically while maintaining residual low frequency hearing, allowing for simultaneous electric and acoustic listening in the same ear. Residual hearing has been thought to be beneficial for all patients, prompting extensive effort into designing electrodes and surgical techniques to preserve it. However, the benefits of this combined electro-acoustic stimulation (EAS) are highly variable across patients, as is acceptance of EAS. Currently, the audiologist decides whether to fit EAS based on the patient’s audiometric thresholds and their personal predictions about its potential efficacy for the individual patient. Unfortunately, patients with similar audiograms show outcomes ranging from interference to benefit with EAS, making the audiogram a poor predictor of performance.. This is because pure-tone audiometry measures only the detection of a sound and not the ability to functionally interpret the stimuli. Determining the factors that relate to EAS benefit and acceptance is important for understanding residual hearing as well as counseling prospective patients. Therefore, a need exists for a clinically feasible measure (i.e., brief and self-administered) to evaluate the usefulness of residual hearing in a given patient. The goal of this study is to develop such a tool.