Speech Recognition in Noise in Children With Cochlear Implants While Listening in Bilateral, Bimodal, and FM-System Arrangements
Schafer, Erin C.
Speech Recognition in Noise in Children With Cochlear Implants While Listening in Bilateral, Bimodal, and FM-System Arrangements
Purpose: Speech recognition performance in
noise was examined in children with cochlear
implants (CIs) when using (a) a second CI (bilateral
group), (b) a hearing aid (HA) on the nonimplant
ear (bimodal group), and (c) a frequency modulation
(FM) system on 1 or both sides.
Method: While always maintaining use of the first
CI, 2 groups participated in 6 conditions each using
various listening arrangements with the second
CI, HA, or FM system. Speech-in-noise thresholds
were determined using simple phrases, classroom
noise, and a method-of-limits approach.
Results: No group differences were detected
across any conditions. In the no-FM-system
conditions, no significant benefit of bilateral or
bimodal input was found relative to a single CI.
In the FM-system conditions, thresholds were
significantly lower (up to 20 dB) relative to all other
conditions when FM-system input was provided
to the first-implanted side or to both sides
simultaneously.
Conclusions: Children’s speech-in-noise
thresholds did not improve when providing input
to the second side with a CI or an HA relative to a
single CI. However, children with CIs had better
speech recognition in noise with the use of an
FM system on one or both sides relative to the
conditions with noFMsystem. Binaural conditions
with a single FM receiver on the second CI or
HA yielded significantly poorer performance than any other FM condition.
cochlear implant, frequency modulation, bimodal, bilateral
Speech Recognition in Noise in Children With Cochlear Implants While Listening in Bilateral, Bimodal, and FM-System Arrangements
Purpose: Speech recognition performance in
noise was examined in children with cochlear
implants (CIs) when using (a) a second CI (bilateral
group), (b) a hearing aid (HA) on the nonimplant
ear (bimodal group), and (c) a frequency modulation
(FM) system on 1 or both sides.
Method: While always maintaining use of the first
CI, 2 groups participated in 6 conditions each using
various listening arrangements with the second
CI, HA, or FM system. Speech-in-noise thresholds
were determined using simple phrases, classroom
noise, and a method-of-limits approach.
Results: No group differences were detected
across any conditions. In the no-FM-system
conditions, no significant benefit of bilateral or
bimodal input was found relative to a single CI.
In the FM-system conditions, thresholds were
significantly lower (up to 20 dB) relative to all other
conditions when FM-system input was provided
to the first-implanted side or to both sides
simultaneously.
Conclusions: Children’s speech-in-noise
thresholds did not improve when providing input
to the second side with a CI or an HA relative to a
single CI. However, children with CIs had better
speech recognition in noise with the use of an
FM system on one or both sides relative to the
conditions with noFMsystem. Binaural conditions
with a single FM receiver on the second CI or
HA yielded significantly poorer performance than any other FM condition.
cochlear implant, frequency modulation, bimodal, bilateral