The acceptance of background noise in adult cochlear implant users.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to determine (a) if acceptable noise levels (ANLs) are different in cochlear implant (CI) users than in listeners with normal hearing, (b) if ANLs are related to sentence reception thresholds in noise in CI users, and (c) if ANLs and subjective outcome measures are related in CI users.


METHODS
ANLs and the Hearing in Noise Test (HINT; M. Nilsson, S. Soli, & J. Sullivan, 1994) were examined in 9 adult CI users and 15 adult listeners with normal hearing. In addition, the Abbreviated Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit (APHAB; R. M. Cox & G. C. Alexander, 1995) and a satisfaction questionnaire were administered to CI users only.


RESULTS
Results indicated that (a) ANLs were not significantly different for CI users and listeners with normal hearing, (b) ANLs were not correlated with HINT values for either group, (c) ANL was not significantly correlated with APHAB scores, and (d) ANL was significantly correlated with overall CI benefit on the satisfaction questionnaire.


CONCLUSIONS
CI users with large ANLs reported more benefit from implants than those with small ANLs. The results of this preliminary study of ANL in CI users suggest that ANL can be used as a tool for evaluating processing in noise in individual CI users.
Plyler
Patrick N
PN
Department of Audiology & Speech Pathology, University of Tennessee, 578 South Stadium Hall, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA. pplyler@utk.edu
Bahng
Junghwa
J
von Hapsburg
Deborah
D
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D003054:Cochlear Implants; D005260:Female; D006310:Hearing Aids; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009622:Noise; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D013067:Speech Perception; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires