An overview of binaural advantages for children and adults who use binaural/bimodal hearing devices.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this paper was to summarize the binaural advantages for sentence perception in noise and sound localization obtained by children and adults who wore a cochlear implant (CI) and a hearing aid in opposite ears (bimodal hearing devices).


METHODS
We evaluated the speech perception and sound localization ability of 29 children and 21 adults who received a Nucleus CI system in one ear and wore a hearing aid in the other ear. All subjects used hearing aids that were adjusted systematically to complement their CIs. Performance with a CI and a hearing aid was compared with that with a CI alone.


RESULTS
On average, both children and adults derived binaural advantages relating to binaural redundancy and head shadow for sentence perception in noise. Neither the degree of hearing loss nor the duration of use of bimodal hearing devices was significantly related to the amount of binaural speech benefits. Both groups also located sounds better with CI and a hearing aid than with CI alone.


CONCLUSIONS
The evidence supports the implementation of binaural/bimodal fittings as the standard management of children and adults who receive a unilateral CI and who have residual hearing in the nonimplanted ear.
Ching
Teresa Y C
TY
National Acoustic Laboratories, Chatswood, Australia. Teresa.Ching.nal.gov.au
Incerti
Paula
P
Hill
Mandy
M
van Wanrooy
Emma
E
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation / Q000295:instrumentation; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D006310:Hearing Aids; D006311:Hearing Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D006312:Hearing Loss, Bilateral / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D009622:Noise; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013017:Sound Localization; D013067:Speech Perception