title: Improvements in speech perception after the upgrade from the TEMPO+ to the OPUS 2 audio processor.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess if speech perception improves after the upgrade from the TEMPO+ to the OPUS 2 processor.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this retrospective study, 45 subjects (54 ears) implanted with a cochlear implant were upgraded from the TEMPO+ (continuous interleaved sampling + coding strategy) to the OPUS 2 processor (fine structure processing). Before the upgrade, patients were tested with the Freiburg monosyllable (FM) and the Hochmair-Schulz-Moser (HSM) sentence test in quiet and in noise. Four weeks after the upgrade, subjects were again assessed with the same tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In quiet, mean FM results improved from 62.0% (±21.3%) to 77.8% (±15.2%) and HSM sentences from 69.9% (±26.1%) to 77.9% (±22.1%). In noise, mean FM results improved from 27.3% (±17.1%) to 52.1% (±18.6%) and HSM sentences from 40.4% (±29.1%) to 58.0% (±26.1%). The upgrade to the OPUS 2 was statistically very significant for all speech perception tests (p < 0.001). Additionally, subjects stated that the OPUS 2 initially sounded 'awkward' but that quality and speech perception improved after a certain adaptation time.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Speech understanding in quiet and noise significantly improved with the OPUS 2 in all speech perception tests.
authors.affiliation: Cochlear Implant Centrum Rhein-Main, Gruener Weg 9, Friedberg, Germany. yseebens @ cic-rheinmain.de
authors.forename: Yvonne
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Seebens
authors.forename: Gottfried
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Diller
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003054:Cochlear Implants; D003638:Deafness / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013067:Speech Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D013069:Speech Reception Threshold Test / Q000295:instrumentation*; D049250:Speech Recognition Software; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013813:Therapy, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult