A multiple-channel cochlear implant and wearable speech-processor: an audiological evaluation

Abstract

Stand audiological tests were administered to a totally deaf multiple-channel cochlear implant patient with a wearable speech-processor in a monitored sound field under the following conditions: a wearable unit activated alone (WA), lipreading with the wearable unit off (LA), and wearable unit activated in combination with lipreading (WL). Thresholds obtained for narrow-band noise signals indicated that the wearable unit allowed the patient to detect a variety of sounds at different frequencies. The results obtained in closed-set word tests and open-set word and sentence tests showed significant improvements in word and sentence scores from LA to WL. In the open-set (C.I.D.) sentence test, the patient scored 22% for LA and 76% for WL. The WL score of 76% correlates with a satisfactory performance in understanding connected speech. The patient also scored 30% correct in a test involving the recognition of environmental sounds.