Enhancing Cochlear Implant Outcomes across Age Groups: The Interplay of Forward Focus and Advanced Combination Encoder Coding Strategies in Noisy Conditions
<b>Background:</b> Hearing in noise is challenging for cochlear implant users and requires significant listening effort. This study investigated the influence of ForwardFocus and number of maxima of the Advanced Combination Encoder (ACE) strategy, as well as age, on speech recognition th...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2024-02-01
|
| Series: | Journal of Clinical Medicine |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/13/5/1399 |
| _version_ | 1797264297256026112 |
|---|---|
| author | Telse M. Wagner Luise Wagner Stefan K. Plontke Torsten Rahne |
| author_facet | Telse M. Wagner Luise Wagner Stefan K. Plontke Torsten Rahne |
| author_sort | Telse M. Wagner |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <b>Background:</b> Hearing in noise is challenging for cochlear implant users and requires significant listening effort. This study investigated the influence of ForwardFocus and number of maxima of the Advanced Combination Encoder (ACE) strategy, as well as age, on speech recognition threshold and listening effort in noise. <b>Methods:</b> A total of 33 cochlear implant recipients were included (age ≤ 40 years: <i>n</i> = 15, >40 years: <i>n</i> = 18). The Oldenburg Sentence Test was used to measure 50% speech recognition thresholds (SRT50) in fluctuating and stationary noise. Speech was presented frontally, while three frontal or rear noise sources were used, and the number of ACE maxima varied between 8 and 12. <b>Results:</b> ForwardFocus significantly improved the SRT50 when noise was presented from the back, independent of subject age. The use of 12 maxima further improved the SRT50 when ForwardFocus was activated and when noise and speech were presented frontally. Listening effort was significantly worse in the older age group compared to the younger age group and was reduced by ForwardFocus but not by increasing the number of ACE maxima. <b>Conclusion:</b> Forward Focus can improve speech recognition in noisy environments and reduce listening effort, especially in older cochlear implant users. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-25T00:26:40Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-769d33e3c50d4d389c92087e0751a547 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-0383 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-25T00:26:40Z |
| publishDate | 2024-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Clinical Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-769d33e3c50d4d389c92087e0751a5472024-03-12T16:48:19ZengMDPI AGJournal of Clinical Medicine2077-03832024-02-01135139910.3390/jcm13051399Enhancing Cochlear Implant Outcomes across Age Groups: The Interplay of Forward Focus and Advanced Combination Encoder Coding Strategies in Noisy ConditionsTelse M. Wagner0Luise Wagner1Stefan K. Plontke2Torsten Rahne3Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University Medicine Halle, Ernst-Grube-Straße 40, 06120 Halle (Saale), GermanyDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, University Medicine Halle, Ernst-Grube-Straße 40, 06120 Halle (Saale), GermanyDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, University Medicine Halle, Ernst-Grube-Straße 40, 06120 Halle (Saale), GermanyDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, University Medicine Halle, Ernst-Grube-Straße 40, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany<b>Background:</b> Hearing in noise is challenging for cochlear implant users and requires significant listening effort. This study investigated the influence of ForwardFocus and number of maxima of the Advanced Combination Encoder (ACE) strategy, as well as age, on speech recognition threshold and listening effort in noise. <b>Methods:</b> A total of 33 cochlear implant recipients were included (age ≤ 40 years: <i>n</i> = 15, >40 years: <i>n</i> = 18). The Oldenburg Sentence Test was used to measure 50% speech recognition thresholds (SRT50) in fluctuating and stationary noise. Speech was presented frontally, while three frontal or rear noise sources were used, and the number of ACE maxima varied between 8 and 12. <b>Results:</b> ForwardFocus significantly improved the SRT50 when noise was presented from the back, independent of subject age. The use of 12 maxima further improved the SRT50 when ForwardFocus was activated and when noise and speech were presented frontally. Listening effort was significantly worse in the older age group compared to the younger age group and was reduced by ForwardFocus but not by increasing the number of ACE maxima. <b>Conclusion:</b> Forward Focus can improve speech recognition in noisy environments and reduce listening effort, especially in older cochlear implant users.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/13/5/1399age-related hearing losscochlear implantForwardFocushearing efforthearing in noisespeech recognition |
| spellingShingle | Telse M. Wagner Luise Wagner Stefan K. Plontke Torsten Rahne Enhancing Cochlear Implant Outcomes across Age Groups: The Interplay of Forward Focus and Advanced Combination Encoder Coding Strategies in Noisy Conditions Journal of Clinical Medicine age-related hearing loss cochlear implant ForwardFocus hearing effort hearing in noise speech recognition |
| title | Enhancing Cochlear Implant Outcomes across Age Groups: The Interplay of Forward Focus and Advanced Combination Encoder Coding Strategies in Noisy Conditions |
| title_full | Enhancing Cochlear Implant Outcomes across Age Groups: The Interplay of Forward Focus and Advanced Combination Encoder Coding Strategies in Noisy Conditions |
| title_fullStr | Enhancing Cochlear Implant Outcomes across Age Groups: The Interplay of Forward Focus and Advanced Combination Encoder Coding Strategies in Noisy Conditions |
| title_full_unstemmed | Enhancing Cochlear Implant Outcomes across Age Groups: The Interplay of Forward Focus and Advanced Combination Encoder Coding Strategies in Noisy Conditions |
| title_short | Enhancing Cochlear Implant Outcomes across Age Groups: The Interplay of Forward Focus and Advanced Combination Encoder Coding Strategies in Noisy Conditions |
| title_sort | enhancing cochlear implant outcomes across age groups the interplay of forward focus and advanced combination encoder coding strategies in noisy conditions |
| topic | age-related hearing loss cochlear implant ForwardFocus hearing effort hearing in noise speech recognition |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/13/5/1399 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT telsemwagner enhancingcochlearimplantoutcomesacrossagegroupstheinterplayofforwardfocusandadvancedcombinationencodercodingstrategiesinnoisyconditions AT luisewagner enhancingcochlearimplantoutcomesacrossagegroupstheinterplayofforwardfocusandadvancedcombinationencodercodingstrategiesinnoisyconditions AT stefankplontke enhancingcochlearimplantoutcomesacrossagegroupstheinterplayofforwardfocusandadvancedcombinationencodercodingstrategiesinnoisyconditions AT torstenrahne enhancingcochlearimplantoutcomesacrossagegroupstheinterplayofforwardfocusandadvancedcombinationencodercodingstrategiesinnoisyconditions |