Background: Auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder (ANSD) is a distinct type of SNHL that is characterized by the presence of otoacoustic emissions and/or cochlear microphonics. Cochlear implantation was initially not recommended for ANSD children, later studies showed variable outcomes among those subjects. Objective: To assess the auditory and speech performance of cochlear implanted children with auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder (ANSD) and to compare these results to those obtained from cochlear implanted children with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) Material and methods: 18 cochlear implanted children with ANSD and 40 cochlear implanted children with SNHL were included in this study. Auditory and speech performance results were compared across both subject groups using the Category of Auditory Performance (CAP) and Speech Intelligibility Rate (SIR) tests, with measurements recorded one year post implantation. Results: Cochlear implanted children with ANSD showed clinically significant improvements that were comparable to those observed from cochlear implanted subjects without ANSD. Conclusions: Children with ANSD benefit from early cochlear implantation and can reach similar auditory and speech performance results as that achieved by children without ANSD.

Objective/Hypothesis: The aim of this study was to investigate cochlear implantation (CI) outcome in children with nerve deficiency. Study Design: Retrospective chart review. Methods: A total of seven children with prelingual profound deficiency (hypoplasia or aplasia) were included. A control group of 10 CI children with no cochlear nerve anomalies was also included. In addition to implant stimulation levels, children's performance on pure-tone audiometry, speech reception measure, and auditory and speech skills ratings were compared across groups. Additionally, pre- and postoperative audiologic results were evaluated for the group with nerve deficiency. Results: In general, children with nerve deficiency performed poorer than those without nerve deficiency on all tested measures. Stimulation levels were considerably higher and more variable than the control group. Results further showed that performance was dependent on the diameter of the internal auditory canal. Conclusion: Overall, cochlear implantation outcome in children with auditory nerve deficiency is poorer and extremely more variable than those without nerve deficiency. However, three of the patients had a noticeable improvement in auditory performance postimplantation suggesting that CI is a viable option in this population but expected benefit can be dependent on the status of the cochlear nerve.

Background: The ADHEAR device, a new nonsurgical bone conduction hearing device, has been developed for patients with conductive hearing loss. Objectives: This study aims to assess the impact of the ADHEAR device on the audiological performance and satisfaction level in subjects with conductive hearing loss. Methods: Twelve patients with conductive hearing loss were included. All patients received the device for 3 months. The audiological outcomes were determined using basic audiological assessments, including pure tone audiometry and sound field measurements of pure tone and speech audiometry with the contralateral ear occluded with a specific earplug. Additionally, the patients were subjectively evaluated using (1) the Speech, Spatial, and Qualities Questionnaire (SSQ), and (2) the custom-made ADHEAR questionnaire. Results: Analysis of the measured audiological outcomes revealed an average improvement in pure tone thresholds (functional gain) of 23 (± 4.4) dB HL when the ADHEAR system was used compared to the unaided condition in the sound field. Moreover, speech reception thresholds improved by an average of 23 (± 15.3) dB SPL in the aided condition with plugged contralateral ear. Additionally, when using ADHEAR in the sound field, subjects’ speech recognition scores improved by 32% (± 17.7) in quiet and 21% (± 15.1) in the presence of interfering noise. The average SSQ questionnaire scores improved from 3.9 at the study initiation to 6.6 after 3 months of device usage. ADHEAR custom questionnaire assessments revealed high satisfaction and acceptance of the device with no pain or skin irritation. Conclusion: During the study period, this new adhesive system yielded improved audiological outcomes with high patient satisfaction and acceptance and no reported skin irritation or pain.

Objectives: The growing adoption of cochlear implants (CIs) necessitates understanding the factors influencing long-term performance and improved outcomes. This work investigated the long-term effect of early activation of CIs on electrode impedance in a large sample of CI users at different time points. Methods: A retrospective study on 915 ears from CI patients who were implanted between 2015 and 2020. According to their CI audio processor activation time, the patients were categorized into early activation (activated 1 day after surgery, n = 481) and classical activation (activated 4 weeks after surgery, n = 434) groups. Then, the impact of the activation times on the electrode impedance values, along the electrode array contacts, at different time points up to two years was studied and analyzed. Results: The early activation group demonstrated lower impedance values across all the electrode array sections compared to the classical activation at 1 month, 1 year, and 2 years post-implantation. At 1 month, early activation was associated with a reduction of 0.34 kΩ, 0.46 kΩ, and 0.37 kΩ in the apical, middle, and basal sections, respectively. These differences persisted at subsequent intervals. Conclusions: Early activation leads to sustained reductions in the electrode impedance compared to classical activation (CA), suggesting that earlier activation might positively affect long-term CI outcomes.