Performance and self‐perceived hearing impairment after cochlear implantation in Menière's disease

Abstract

Abstract Objective Evaluation of the self‐perceived hearing impairment and performance after cochlear implantation in patients with definite Menière's disease (MD). Patients and Methods Seventeen unilaterally or bilaterally profoundly hearing‐impaired patients suffering from MD who received a cochlear implantat (CI) were eligible for inclusion in this study. Their self‐perceived hearing impairment using the short Speech Spatial and Qualities of Hearing Scale (SSQ12) as well as their performance in speech perception (German language Freiburger mono‐ and multisyllable test, Oldenburger sentence test) were compared with a best‐matched control group of non‐MD patients up to 24 months of follow‐up. Results MD patients improved significantly in perception of monosyllables presented at 65 dBSPL, from preoperatively best aided 18.2% [2.4, 34.0] to 51.7% [39.4, 63.9] 1 year after cochlear implantation (mean [95% confidence interval]). Their performance approached the matched controls with 63.2% [55.7, 70.8]. Monosyllables presented at a lower intensity of 55 dBSPL revealed a significant underperformance of the MD patients (21.1% [12.6, 29.6]) in contrast to the non‐MD controls (39.1% [30.9, 47.4]) 12 months post‐CI. Self‐assessed hearing disability was significantly more pronounced in MD patients with a mean total SSQ12 score of 3.6 [2.4, 4.9] in comparison to 6.1 [5.4, 6.8] of the matched non‐MD controls after 12 months of cochlear implantation. Conclusion Cochlear implantation substantially improves hearing capabilities in profoundly hearing‐impaired patients with MD, but they tend to underperform in comparison to non‐MD patients at least at lower sound pressure levels. This is likely one reason for the poorer self‐assessed hearing function of cochlear implanted MD patients. Level of Evidence 3, retrospective, nonrandomized follow‐up study.

The current study evaluates self‐perceived hearing function using the SSQ12 as well as speech perception in cochlear implanted patients with Menière's disease. It reveals greater self‐assessed hearing impairment with an accompanying worse speech perception at lower sound pressure levels of Menière patients in comparison to a best‐matched control group of non‐Menière CI patients. image