Relationships Between Health-Related Quality of Life and Speech Perception in Bimodal and Bilateral Cochlear Implant Users

Abstract

Purpose: Previous studies examining the relationship between health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and speech perception ability in cochlear implant (CI) users have yielded variable results, due to a range of factors, such as a variety of different HRQoL questionnaires and CI speech testing materials in addition to CI configuration. In order to decrease inherent variability and better understand the relationship between these measures in CI users, we administered a commonly used clinical CI speech testing battery as well as two popular HRQoL questionnaires in bimodal and bilateral CI users.

Methods: The Glasgow Benefit Inventory (GBI), a modified five-factor version of the GBI (GBI-5F), and the Nijmegen Cochlear Implant Questionnaire (NCIQ) were administered to 25 CI users (17 bimodal and 8 bilateral). Speech perception abilities were measured with the AzBio sentence test in several conditions (e.g., quiet and noise, binaural, and first-ear CI only).

Results: Higher performance scores on the GBI general subscore were related to greater binaural speech perception ability in noise. There were no other relationships between the GBI or NCIQ and speech perception ability under any condition. Scores on many of the GBI-5F factors were substantially skewed and asymmetrical; therefore, correlational analyses could not be applied. Across all participants, binaural speech perception scores were greater than first-ear CI only scores.

Conclusion: The GBI general subscore was related to binaural speech perception, which is considered the everyday listening condition of bimodal and bilateral CI users, in noise; while the more CI-specific NCIQ did not relate to speech perception ability in any listening condition. Future research exploring the relationships between the GBI, GBI-5F, and NCIQ considering bimodal and bilateral CI configurations separately is warranted.

Keywords: Glasgow Benefit Inventory; Nijmegen Cochlear Implant Questionnaire; bilateral; bimodal; cochlear implant; health related quality of life; hearing loss; speech perception.

Figure 1

Boxplots of the (A) GBI, (B) GBI-5F, and (C) NCIQ. Central mark indicates median, bottom and top edges of box indicate 25th and 75th percentiles, whiskers extend to minimum and maximum points, and plus signs indicate outliers. Q9, question 9.

Figure 2

Means and SD’s of first-ear CI only and binaural speech perception scores in quiet and noise. Significant differences were noted between a first-ear CI only and binaural configuration in both quiet and noise. ^**≤0.01, ^***≤0.001.