title: Speech Intelligibility in Noise With a Pinna Effect Imitating Cochlear Implant Processor.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the speech intelligibility in noise with a new cochlear implant (CI) processor that uses a pinna effect imitating directional microphone system.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective experimental study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tertiary referral center.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten experienced, unilateral CI recipients with bilateral severe-to-profound hearing loss.Intervention: All participants performed speech in noise tests with the Opus 2 processor (omnidirectional microphone mode only) and the newer Sonnet processor (omnidirectional and directional microphone mode).
  
  
  METHODS
  The speech reception threshold (SRT) in noise was measured in four spatial settings. The test sentences were always presented from the front. The noise was arriving either from the front (S0N0), the ipsilateral side of the CI (S0NIL), the contralateral side of the CI (S0NCL), or the back (S0N180).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The directional mode improved the SRTs by 3.6 dB (p < 0.01), 2.2 dB (p < 0.01), and 1.3 dB (p < 0.05) in the S0N180, S0NIL, and S0NCL situations, when compared with the Sonnet in the omnidirectional mode. There was no statistically significant difference in the S0N0 situation. No differences between the Opus 2 and the Sonnet in the omnidirectional mode were observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Speech intelligibility with the Sonnet system was statistically different to speech recognition with the Opus 2 system suggesting that CI users might profit from the pinna effect imitating directionality mode in noisy environments.
authors.forename: Wilhelm
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wimmer
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Weder
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Caversaccio
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kompis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003054:Cochlear Implants; D054644:Ear Auricle; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000628:therapy; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009622:Noise; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D013065:Speech Intelligibility; D013069:Speech Reception Threshold Test