Comparison of test methods to assess the implanted ear alone for pediatric cochlear implant recipients with single-sided deafness
Lisa R. Park, Elizabeth Preston, Amy S. Noxon, Margaret T. Dillon
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this investigation was to compare three test methods for isolating the test ear for children with single-sided deafness (SSD) who use a cochlear implant (CI). METHODS: Word recognition was assessed for five CI recipients with SSD and six bilateral CI recipients with no acoustic hearing. For the SSD subjects, performance was compared: 1) in the sound field with masking in the normal-hearing ear, 2) in the sound field with an earplug and earmuff ("plug-and-muff"), and 3) via direct connect (DC). For the bilateral CI subjects, performance was compared: 1) in the sound field and 2) via DC. RESULTS: For the bilateral CI subjects, word recognition was similar when assessed in the sound field versus via DC. For the SSD subjects, performance was similar when assessed with the plug-and-muff and DC methods but was significantly poorer with masking presented to the normal-hearing ear. DISCUSSION: Masking the normal-hearing ear to isolate the CI for word recognition is problematic in this population. The plug-and-muff and DC test methods may provide a more accurate assessment. CONCLUSION: DC or plug-and-muff methods are recommended to isolate the CI-ear for word recognition testing in children with SSD. Patient specific variables should be considered.