Cochlear Implant Performance in Candidates With Moderate Hearing Loss Qualifying in Noise

Objective: To determine postcochlear implantation performance for patients qualifying on preimplant testing in noise. Study design: Retrospective chart review of cochlear implant recipients. Main Outcome Measure: Performance on word and sentence testing in the implanted ear and bimodal condition were compared between pre- and postimplantation time points. Results: At 2-years postimplantation, CNC testing in quiet in the implanted ear improved from an average percent correct score of 14.0 +/- 12.1% to 54.9 +/- 14.8% (n = 20, p < 0.0001, d = 3.0) for those qualifying at +8, and from 23.4 +/- 15.6% to 55.5 +/- 19.4% (n = 28, p < 0.0001, d = 1.8) for those qualifying at +5. Likewise, AzBio in quiet in the implanted ear improved from an average % correct score of 19.9 +/- 16.0% to 75.1 +/- 11.8% (n = 20, p < 0.0001, d = 4.0) for those qualifying at +8, and from 46.2 +/- 21.7% to 74.1 +/- 21.3% (n = 27, p < 0.0001, d = 1.4) for those qualifying at +5. CNC and AzBio performance in quiet in the bimodal condition also improved with those qualifying at +8 and +5 having similar average scores at 2-years post activation. For those qualifying at +8, performance improved on CNC and AzBio in the implanted ear in 95% of patients and in the bimodal condition in 89% of patients. The proportion of patients improving on both tests for those qualifying at +5 at 2 years was 85% in the implanted ear, and 72% in the bimodal condition. Conclusion: The majority of patients qualifying for cochlear implantation with the addition of noise showed improved speech perception in quiet. These data provide useful counseling tools for patients considering cochlear implantation who do not meet traditional eligibility requirements when tested in quiet.