title: Improving Hearing Performance for Cochlear Implant Recipients with Use of a Digital, Wireless, Remote-Microphone, Audio-Streaming Accessory.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cochlear implant (CI) recipients experience difficulty understanding speech in noise. Remote-microphone technology that improves the signal-to-noise ratio is recognized as an effective means to improve speech recognition in noise; however, there are no published studies evaluating the potential benefits of a wireless, remote-microphone, digital, audio-streaming accessory device (heretofore referred to as a remote-microphone accessory) designed to deliver audio signals directly to a CI sound processor.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to compare speech recognition in quiet and in noise of recipients while using their CI alone and with a remote-microphone accessory.
  
  
  METHODS
  A two-way repeated measures design was used to evaluate performance differences obtained in quiet and in increasing levels of competing noise with the CI sound processor alone and with the sound processor paired to the remote microphone accessory.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixteen users of Cochlear Nucleus 24 Freedom, CI512, and CI422 implants were included in the study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were evaluated in 14 conditions including use of the sound processor alone and with the remote-microphone accessory in quiet and at the following signal levels: 65 dBA speech (at the location of the participant; 85 dBA at the location of the remote microphone) in quiet and competing noise at 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, and 75 dBA noise levels. Speech recognition was evaluated in each of these conditions with one full list of AzBio sentences.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Speech recognition in quiet and in all competing noise levels, except the 75 dBA condition, was significantly better with use of the remote-microphone accessory compared with participants' performance with the CI sound processor alone. As expected, in all technology conditions, performance was significantly poorer as the competing noise level increased.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Use of a remote-microphone accessory designed for a CI sound processor provides superior speech recognition in quiet and in noise when compared with performance obtained with the CI sound processor alone.
authors.affiliation: Hearts for Hearing Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK.
authors.forename: Jace
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wolfe
authors.affiliation: University of North Texas, Speech and Hearing Department, Denton, TX.
authors.forename: Mila
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Morais
authors.affiliation: University of North Texas, Speech and Hearing Department, Denton, TX.
authors.forename: Erin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Schafer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001309:Auditory Threshold; D019929:Cochlear Implantation; D003054:Cochlear Implants; D003638:Deafness / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009622:Noise; D059629:Signal-To-Noise Ratio; D013067:Speech Perception; D055815:Young Adult