Speech perception differences between adults with a substantial hearing impairment and users of multiple-channel cochlear implant [Abstract]

Abstract

Decent improvements in the performance of users of multiple-channel cochlear implants has led to speculation that people with a severe or severe-to-profound hearing impairment, may achieve better speech perception with a cochlear implant than with conventional hearing aids. In order to investigate this possibility a detailed investigation of the aided performance of adults with a severe or severe-to-profound hearing impairment was conducted in the Department of Otolaryngology (University of Melbourne). In total thirty-four adults took part in the speech perception tests. To aid statistical analysis and to facilitate discussion, the participants were divided into a severe group (61-80 dB HL) (n = 20) and a severe-to-profound group (81-100 dB HL,) (n = 14). All participants took part in a range of speech perception measures including closed-set vowel and consonant tests, open-set word (CNC) tests, and open-set sentence (CUNY) tests (in quiet conditions and in presence of +10 dB SNR background noise). Comparisons of mean scores were made between the adults with a severe or severe-to profound hearing impairment and a comparable group of multiple channel cochlear implant users. The results indicated that there were significant differences between the groups and that many of these differences were dependent on the types of tests used. Additional discussion will take place regarding the issues involved in providing multiple-channel cochlear implants to adults with a severe or severe-to-profound hearing impairment.