title: Effects of Removing Low-Frequency Electric Information on Speech Perception With Bimodal Hearing.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective was to determine whether speech perception could be improved for bimodal listeners (those using a cochlear implant [CI] in one ear and hearing aid in the contralateral ear) by removing low-frequency information provided by the CI, thereby reducing acoustic-electric overlap.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects were adult CI subjects with at least 1 year of CI experience. Nine subjects were evaluated in the CI-only condition (control condition), and 26 subjects were evaluated in the bimodal condition. CIs were programmed with 4 experimental programs in which the low cutoff frequency (LCF) was progressively raised. Speech perception was evaluated using Consonant-Nucleus-Consonant words in quiet, AzBio sentences in background babble, and spondee words in background babble.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The CI-only group showed decreased speech perception in both quiet and noise as the LCF was raised. Bimodal subjects with better hearing in the hearing aid ear (< 60 dB HL at 250 and 500 Hz) performed best for words in quiet as the LCF was raised. In contrast, bimodal subjects with worse hearing (> 60 dB HL at 250 and 500 Hz) performed similarly to the CI-only group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that reducing low-frequency overlap of the CI and contralateral hearing aid may improve performance in quiet for some bimodal listeners with better hearing.
authors.forename: Jennifer R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Fowler
authors.forename: Jessica L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Eggleston
authors.forename: Kelly M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Reavis
authors.forename: Garnett P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: McMillan
authors.forename: Lina A J
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Reiss
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019929:Cochlear Implantation / Q000379:methods; D003054:Cochlear Implants; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006311:Hearing Disorders; D006320:Hearing Tests; D006801:Humans; D007808:Language Therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009622:Noise / Q000009:adverse effects; D013067:Speech Perception