Anke Plasmans1, Emma Rushbrooke2, Michelle Moran3, Claire Spence4, Leen Theuwis5, Andrzej Zarowski5, Erwin Offeciers5, Beth Atkinson2, Jane McGovern2, Dimity Dornan6, Jaime Leigh7, Arielle Kaicer7, Rod Hollow7, Leigh Martelli4, Valerie Looi8, Esti Nel9, Janine Del Dot10, Robert Cowan11, Stefan J Mauger12. 1. Cochlear Technology Centre Belgium, Mechelen, Belgium. 2. Hear and Say, Brisbane, Australia. 3. Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, Melbourne, Australia; The HEARing CRC, Melbourne, Australia. 4. The Hearing House, Auckland, New Zealand. 5. European Institute for ORL-HNS, Sint Augustinus Hospital, Antwerp, Belgium. 6. Hear and Say, Brisbane, Australia; The HEARing CRC, Melbourne, Australia. 7. Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, Melbourne, Australia. 8. SCIC Cochlear Implant Program, an RIDBC service, Sydney, Australia. 9. The HEARing CRC, Melbourne, Australia; Cochlear Limited, Sydney, Australia. 10. Cochlear Limited, Melbourne, Australia. 11. The HEARing CRC, Melbourne, Australia; The Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology, the University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia. 12. Cochlear Limited, Melbourne, Australia. Electronic address: SMauger@cochlear.com.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate whether experienced paediatric cochlear implant users could show benefits to speech perception outcomes from the introduction of noise reduction and automated scene classification technologies as implemented in the Nucleus(®) 6 sound processor. Previous research with adult cochlear implant users had shown significant improvements in speech intelligibility for listening in noisy conditions and good user acceptance for upgrading to the Nucleus 6 processor. In adults, these improvements for listening in noise were primarily attributed to the use of a range of new input processing technologies including noise reduction, as well as introduction of automatic scene classification technology. METHODS: Experienced paediatric cochlear implant users (n=25) were recruited from four clinics located in three countries. Research participants were evaluated on three occasions, an initial session using their Nucleus 5 sound processor; a second session in which participants used the Nucleus 6 processor programmed with the same technologies as were used in their Nucleus 5 sound processor; and a final session in which participants used the Nucleus 6 processor programmed with the default technologies including automatic scene classification (SCAN) which automatically selects the microphone directionality, noise reduction (SNR-NR), and wind noise reduction (WNR) technologies. Prior to both the second and third evaluations, research participants had approximately two weeks take-home experience with the new system. Speech perception performances on monosyllabic word tests presented in quiet and in noise, and a sentence test presented in noise, were compared across the three processor conditions. Acceptance of the Nucleus 6 default settings was assessed in a final session. RESULTS: No group mean difference in performance was found for monosyllabic words in quiet. A significant improvement in speech perception was found for both monosyllabic words and sentences in noise with the default Nucleus 6 program condition as compared with the Nucleus 5 condition. No acceptance issues were noted for any of the children. CONCLUSIONS: Experienced paediatric cochlear implant users showed a significant improvement in speech perception in listening in noise when upgraded to the Nucleus 6 sound processor primarily due to the introduction of a noise reduction technology, and all children accepted the default program. These findings suggest that school-aged children may benefit from upgrading to the Nucleus 6 sound processor using the default program.
OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate whether experienced paediatric cochlear implant users could show benefits to speech perception outcomes from the introduction of noise reduction and automated scene classification technologies as implemented in the Nucleus(®) 6 sound processor. Previous research with adult cochlear implant users had shown significant improvements in speech intelligibility for listening in noisy conditions and good user acceptance for upgrading to the Nucleus 6 processor. In adults, these improvements for listening in noise were primarily attributed to the use of a range of new input processing technologies including noise reduction, as well as introduction of automatic scene classification technology. METHODS: Experienced paediatric cochlear implant users (n=25) were recruited from four clinics located in three countries. Research participants were evaluated on three occasions, an initial session using their Nucleus 5 sound processor; a second session in which participants used the Nucleus 6 processor programmed with the same technologies as were used in their Nucleus 5 sound processor; and a final session in which participants used the Nucleus 6 processor programmed with the default technologies including automatic scene classification (SCAN) which automatically selects the microphone directionality, noise reduction (SNR-NR), and wind noise reduction (WNR) technologies. Prior to both the second and third evaluations, research participants had approximately two weeks take-home experience with the new system. Speech perception performances on monosyllabic word tests presented in quiet and in noise, and a sentence test presented in noise, were compared across the three processor conditions. Acceptance of the Nucleus 6 default settings was assessed in a final session. RESULTS: No group mean difference in performance was found for monosyllabic words in quiet. A significant improvement in speech perception was found for both monosyllabic words and sentences in noise with the default Nucleus 6 program condition as compared with the Nucleus 5 condition. No acceptance issues were noted for any of the children. CONCLUSIONS: Experienced paediatric cochlear implant users showed a significant improvement in speech perception in listening in noise when upgraded to the Nucleus 6 sound processor primarily due to the introduction of a noise reduction technology, and all children accepted the default program. These findings suggest that school-aged children may benefit from upgrading to the Nucleus 6 sound processor using the default program.
Authors: Matthias Hey; Adam A Hersbach; Thomas Hocke; Stefan J Mauger; Britta Böhnke; Alexander Mewes Journal: J Clin Med Date: 2022-05-23 Impact factor: 4.964
Authors: Anita Obrycka; Artur Lorens; Adam Walkowiak; Elzbieta Wlodarczyk; Beata Dziendziel; Piotr Henryk Skarzynski; Henryk Skarzynski Journal: Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol Date: 2022-03-14 Impact factor: 3.236