Cochlear implantation as a long-term treatment for ipsilateral incapacitating tinnitus in subjects with unilateral hearing loss up to 10 years.

INTRODUCTION: The authors previously demonstrated that tinnitus resulting from unilateral hearing loss (UHL) can be treated with electrical stimulation via a Cochlear Implant (CI). The study aimed to do a long-term (LT) evaluation of CI in subjects suffering from UHL and accompanied incapacitating tinnitus up to 10 years. The primary focus of the study is on LT tinnitus reduction.
SUBJECTS: LT evaluation was derived from 23 subjects suffering from UHL and accompanied incapacitating tinnitus (Pre-operative Tinnitus Loudness Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score >6/10). They were cochlear implanted at a median age of 55 years (22-71 yr) and had 8 years (3-10 yr) experience with their CI at the LT testing. The subjects were categorized into two groups: a Single-Sided Deaf Group (SSD) and an Asymmetric Hearing Loss Group (AHL). The SSD group comprises subjects with contralateral normal hearing (i.e. air conduction pure tone average (PTA0.5, 1, 2 and 4 kHz) ≤ 30 dB HL) and the AHL group subjects with contralateral mild to moderate hearing loss (i.e. air conduction PTA0.5, 1, 2 and 4 kHz > 30 dB HL).
METHODS: In order to obtain a LT structural overview of the CI use in UHL subjects, a structured interview was conducted including questions about daily amount of CI use, residual inhibition of the tinnitus after switch off, tinnitus type, etc. The VAStinnitus loudness and the Tinnitus Questionnaire were obtained pre-operatively, one, three, six, 12, and 36-months post-operatively and at the long-term test interval (8 (3-10 years) post-operative). The Hyperacusis Questionnaire was administered in the CION and the CIOFF condition.
RESULTS: The structural interview revealed that all patients (23/23) still wear their CI seven days a week, eight (3-10) years after cochlear implantation. It appeared that in all subjects but one CI switch-on is the first act when rising and CI switch-off is the last act before bedtime. In the SSD group, tinnitus suppression is still the primary benefit reported (83%), whereas in the AHL the majority of the subjects (55%) report that the primary benefit shifted to improved hearing. In the majority of the subjects the tinnitus reduction starts within 1 min (in 70% of the cases) and the residual inhibition after CI switch-off is less than a minute (in 65% of the cases). The VAS and TQ scores significantly improved up to three months after the first-fitting and remain stable up to the LT test interval. The median score on the Hyperacusis Questionnaire was 17 (7-36) in the CIOFF condition and improved to 23,5 (12-39) in the CION condition in the SSD group.
CONCLUSION: This is the first study to report on LT results in a large number of UHL CI users, up to 10 years. Structured interviews shows that 100% of the subjects wears their CI seven days a week. The tinnitus reduces significantly up to three months after the first-fitting and the tinnitus reduction remain stable up to the LT test interval. The SSD group report tinnitus reduction as the primary benefit, whereas the majority of the AHL group report improved hearing as the primary benefit, eight (3-10) years after implantation. In addition to the tinnitus reduction, the CI provides also a benefit regarding reported.