Military Audiology Short Course

MASC 2005 Abstracts

Binaural Speech Benefits for Adults Wearing Hearing Aids and Cochlear Implants in opposite ears

Col Ben Sierra
Capt Brandon Tourtillott

There have been conflicting views in the past on whether a cochlear implant and hearing aid are compatible on opposite ears. Recent research on the subject has concluded that speech perception is improved with bimodal hearing though the processing is very different. Many of our current Cochlear Implant Recipients have quit wearing amplification on the opposite ear following Cochlear Implant Surgery. We will compare speech perception with a Cochlear Implant only and a Cochlear Implant in conjunction with a Digital Behind-the-Ear Hearing Aid on ten WHMC Cochlear Implant Recipients.