Marta Bastarrica

Quality of life in postlingually deaf patients following cochlear implantation.

Most cochlear implant studies are focused on improvement of speech perception associated with implantation. The goal of this study was to assess the impact of cochlear implantation on quality of life changes in Spanish users. Thirty postlingually deaf patients fitted with a cochlear implant completed the Glasgow Benefit Inventory, a questionnaire dealing with communication abilities, and an open-ended questionnaire. The Glasgow Benefit Inventory revealed a positive effect in 93% of patients. The use of a cochlear implant significantly enhanced discrimination ability, telephone use and self-confidence. A high degree of satisfaction was achieved in all situations except with background noise. Ninety-six percent of patients would recommend the operation to a friend. A dramatic improvement in quality of life following cochlear implantation is revealed by a great majority of patients. The results cannot only be explained by enhancements to auditory perception.

Musical Perception and Enjoyment in Post-Lingual Patients With Cochlear Implants

OBJECTIVES To evaluate music perception and enjoyment following cochlear implantation and its impact on quality of life (QOL). MATERIAL AND METHOD Eighty-eight adult post-lingually deaf cochlear implant users entered the study. The music questionnaire analyzed musical background, listening habits, and quality of musical sound through the cochlear implant. Music perception was evaluated with the Primary Measures of Music Audiation (PMMA). The Glasgow Benefit Inventory evaluated the quality of life (QOL). The music questionnaires, the PMMA and the GBI were completed by 84 %, 74 %, and 82 % of patients, respectively. RESULTS Subjective enjoyment of music and listening habits decreased post-implantation when compared with prior to deafness. Mean scores for music perception were: tone 71 %, rhythm 78 %, timbre 61 %, songs 59 %, and melodies 23 %. The quality of music sound through the cochlear implant was associated with music enjoyment and with QOL. CONCLUSIONS Music enjoyment and perception are possible with a cochlear implant. The quality of music sound through the cochlear implant influences post-operative QOL.

Percepción y disfrute de la música en pacientes poslocutivos con implante coclear

Objetivos Evaluar la percepcion y el disfrute de la musica tras la implantacion coclear y su impacto en la calidad de vida. Material y metodo Participaron en el estudio 88 adultos con sordera poslocutiva y portadores de un implante coclear. El cuestionario de la musica analizo la experiencia musical, los habitos musicales y la calidad del sonido musical a traves del implante coclear. Para estudiar la percepcion de la musica se empleo el PMMA (Primary Measures of Music Audiation). La calidad de vida fue evaluada mediante el GBI (Glasgow Benefit Inventory). El cuestionario de la musica, el PMMA y el GBI fueron contestados por el 84, el 74, y el 82 % de los pacientes, respectivamente. Resultados El disfrute de la musica y los habitos musicales disminuyeron tras el implante coclear cuando se compararon con la situacion previa a la sordera. Los valores medios de percepcion de la musica fueron: tono, el 71 %; ritmo, el 78 %; timbre, el 61 %; canciones, el 59 %, y melodias, el 23 %. La calidad del sonido de la musica a traves del implante coclear se relaciono con el disfrute de la musica y con la calidad de vida. Conclusiones Es posible disfrutar y percibir la musica con un implante coclear. La calidad del sonido de la musica a traves del implante influye en la calidad de vida.

Calidad de vida en pacientes con implante coclear

Several articles show the audiologic benefits of cochlear implants, although it is still necessary to prove their impact on quality of life. In this study, 36 Med-El processor users were included. The Glasgow Benefit Inventory (GBI) was used to measure changes in quality of life, and another questionnaire was used to evaluate the communication abilities. Eighty-six percent of the patients answered our questionnaire. The quality of life improved significantly according to the specific questionnaire. The average total benefit obtained with the GBI was +41, and the average scores related to general, social and physics benefits were +57, +16, and +3, respectively. No significant difference was found between quality of life and other parameters like insertion depth of the array, etiology or duration of the deafness.

Comparison of different mobile telephones in Combi40+ users.

Abstract Conclusion. Telephone usage is a difficult challenge for cochlear implanted patients. A significant number of cochlear implanted patients are able to carry on a land-line or mobile telephone conversation. The telephone model may be a critical factor for telephone performance. Objectives. The goals of this study were to evaluate speech discrimination through land-line and mobile telephones in Combi40 + users, and to compare different mobile telephone models to find out which could be more advisable for them. Patients and methods. Eighteen Combi40 + implantees were tested with CID sentences and bisyllabic words presented through land-line and mobile telephones, in both quiet and noisy environments. Results. Mean scores for telephonic speech discrimination were over 85% for CID sentences and 28–59% for bisyllabic words. The Siemens M55 was superior to the other mobile telephones tested.

Benefits from a mobile telephone adapter in Combi40+ cochlear implant users.

Conclusions. Telephone adapters can help cochlear implanted patients to enhance their telephonic conversations. However, these devices should be further developed to be useful for daily life. Objectives. To test a mobile telephone adapter to improve speech discrimination by mobile telephone in Combi40+ users. To evaluate the influence of the mobile telephone in communication. Subjects and methods. Seventeen Combi40+ implantees were tested with bisyllabic words presented through mobile telephones with and without a telephone adapter in quiet and noisy environments. Speech audiometries in open field were obtained for every patient. Results. Mean speech discrimination without the adapter in a quiet environment was 51.2%. In a noisy environment, mean discrimination increased significantly with the adapter from 30.3% to 42.9%. No statistically significant difference was found between speech discrimination in the quiet environment without the adapter and speech discrimination in the noisy environment with the adapter. When comparing speech discrimination in open field without lip-reading with equivalent telephonic conditions a statistically significant difference was found in favour of the open field.

Discriminación verbal a través del teléfono en pacientes implantados con un Combi 40

Resumen Objetivo Estudiar la discriminacion verbal a traves del telefono fijo y movil en pacientes con implante coclear. Material y metodo Dieciocho pacientes implantados con un Combi 40+ fueron sometidos a pruebas de discriminacion verbal a traves de un telefono fijo y tres modelos de moviles, tanto en silencio como en presencia de ruido. Resultados La discriminacion verbal telefonica media fue de 84-92% para frases CID, de 27-58% para palabras bisilabas en silencio y de 15-41% para palabras bisilabas en presencia de ruido. De los modelos de telefonia movil probados el Siemens m55 obtuvo los mejores resultados. Conclusiones Un numero significativo de pacientes implantados consiguen una buena discriminacion verbal telefonica. Ciertos modelos de telefonia movil parecen mas recomendables para estos pacientes.

Does FSP Strategy Improve Telephone Speech Perception

OBJECTIVE: The main objective of this study was to compare telephone speech perception and subjective preferences among a population of cochlear implant users with two different speech processing strategies: CIS and FSP. METHOD: A randomized double-blind study was designed for intra-individual comparison of two different coding strategies: continuous interleaved sampling (CIS) and fine structure processing (FSP). Post-lingually deaf patients using MED-EL PULSARCI100 or SONATATI100 were included. Subjects were consecutively tested with both strategies, the first of which was randomly assigned. Tests were performed 6 weeks after each fitting. Using disyllabic words, speech perception was tested under 5 different situations: landline with (LWN) and without (LWoN) background noise, mobile network with (MWN) and without (MWoN) background noise, and mobile network using a Bluetooth magnetic field transmitter necklace (MB). Assessment of personal preferences between the two strategies was obtained at the end of the study. Data were analyzed using SPSS 9.0 for Windows XP SP2. RESULTS: 25 subjects were included. Patients performed better with FSP in both landline tests, showing an improvement of 11.5% for LWN (p 0.014; CI95% 3%-20%) and 10% for LWoN (p 0.001; CI95% 5%-15%). Mobile network tests showed significant improvement for FSP strategy without background noise (MWoN, p 0.03; CI95% 0%13%). MB tests showed an improvement of 11% (p 0.015; CI95% 1.5%-22%). A significant difference was found in patients’ preferences favoring FSP strategy. CONCLUSION: FSP speech coding strategy can lead to an improvement (over CIS strategy) in speech recognition in difficult situations for cochlear implant users, such as telephone use.