Does trainee participation in cochlear implant surgery affect operative times?

The role of surgical education is a very sensitive issue in spite of the obvious need and the obligation of doctors to pass on their knowledge and experience to the next generation. This study is very interesting as it assesses...

Supporting second language in bilingual children with cochlear implants

There have been mixed reports regarding the benefits of supporting two languages for bilingual children using cochlear implants. With an ever-increasing number of children with hearing loss undergoing cochlear implantation, this study provides timely clinical evidence. The authors studied the...

Can intraoperative electrically evoked auditory brainstem responses predict the outcome of cochlear implantation?

Electrophysiology during cochlear implant surgery remains an issue of debate among the various centres. In the present study, the latencies and quality of the eABR waveforms from 74 adult implanted patients were analysed. In addition, four children with severe cochlear...

Do the modern multiple microphones with beamforming facility really help implantees?

In this study the authors aimed to assess the benefit beamforming multiple microphones provide to implantees. Speech reception thresholds were assessed in different situations; fixed masking noise from eight loudspeakers around the subject at 0°, ±45°, ±90°, ±135°, and 180°...

Is auditory frequency discrimination related to speech recognition in implantees?

Why do two identical implantees perform differently? This fundamental question has not yet been answered despite the extensive research in the field. The authors attempted to clarify the issue, or at least approach it, assessing the association between deficits in...

‘FOX’ – a new software programme in cochlear implant fitting for audiologists

Taking into account the complex parameters involved in cochlear implant fitting, it appears that the procedure is becoming more and more difficult and variable across cochlear implant centres. For this reason, a software programme called FOX was designed attempting to...

Another comparison of stapedial reflex thresholds and comfort levels in implantees

Many studies in the past have attempted to correlate electrical stapedius reflex threshold (eSRT) and comfort levels in implantees, mainly to assist fitting in young children or adults with difficulties in cooperation with audiologists. The present study assessed 11 adult...

Differences in timbral cues’ perception between teenagers with cochlear implants and those with normal hearing

The authors aimed to assess timbral cues’ perception of teenagers with cochlear implants and compare it to the respective perception of normally hearing teenagers. Thirty-four teenagers were included in the study, nine Korean adolescents with cochlear implants and 25 adolescents...

Do modern multiple microphones with beamforming facility really help implantees?

In this study the authors aimed to assess the benefit beamforming multiple microphones provide to implantees. Speech reception thresholds were assessed in different situations; fixed masking noise from eight loudspeakers around the subject at 0°, ±45°, ±90°, ±135° and 180°...

Cochlear implantation in immunosuppressed patients. Is it feasible?

The effectiveness of cochlear implantation has led to a relaxation of the candidate criteria. Patients who had been rejected in the past may now be accepted and their outcomes are encouraging. However, the acceptance of immunosuppressed patients as cochlear implant...

How do the rejected candidates for cochlear implantation feel?

This interesting study from the UK explored, using personal interviews, how rejected candidates for cochlear implantation feel and deal with the decision not to implant. The authors assessed 10 adult cochlear implant candidates who had undergone the evaluation process were...

Does head trauma as aetiology of deafness affect the outcomes of cochlear implantation?

Head trauma associated with temporal bone fractures is a well known aetiological factor for deafness. The literature assessing the outcomes of cochlear implantation in such cases is rather limited. In this paper, the authors compared the performance of implantees with...