Electric-acoustic interaction measurements in cochlear-implant users with ipsilateral residual hearing using electrocochleography.

Abstract

Cochlear implantation is increasingly being used as a hearing-loss treatment for patients with residual hearing in the low acoustic frequencies. These patients obtain combined electric-acoustic stimulation (EAS). Substantial residual hearing and relatively long electrode arrays can lead to interactions between the electric and acoustic stimulation. This work investigated EAS interaction through psychophysical and electrophysiological measures. Moreover, cone-beam computed-tomography data was used to characterize the interaction along spatial cochlear locations. Psychophysical EAS interaction was estimated based on the threshold of audibility of an acoustic probe stimulus in the presence of a simultaneously presented electric masker stimulus. Intracochlear electrocochleography was used to estimate electrophysiological EAS interaction via the telemetry capability of the cochlear implant. EAS interaction was observed using psychophysical and electrophysiological measurements. While psychoacoustic EAS interaction was most pronounced close to the electrical stimulation site, electrophysiological EAS interaction was observed over a wider range of spatial cochlear locations. Psychophysical EAS interaction was significantly larger than electrophysiological EAS interaction for acoustic probes close to the electrode position.