title: Multicenter clinical trial of the Nucleus Hybrid S8 cochlear implant: Final outcomes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The concept of expanding electrical speech processing to those with more residual acoustic hearing with a less-invasive shorter cochlear implant (CI) has been ongoing since 1999. A multicenter study of the Nucleus Hybrid S8 CI took place between 2002 and 2011. This report describes the final outcomes of this clinical trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  Multicenter, longitudinal, single-subject design.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-seven subjects received a Nucleus Hybrid S8 CI in their poorer ear. Speech perception in quiet (Consonant-Nucleus-Consonant [CNC] words) and in noise (Bamford-Kowal-Bench Sentences-In-Noise [BKB-SIN]) were collected pre- and postoperatively at 3, 6, and 12 months. Subjective questionnaire data using the Abbreviated Profile for Hearing Aid Benefit (APHAB) were also collected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Some level of hearing preservation was accomplished in 98% subjects, with 90% maintaining a functional low-frequency pure-tone average (LFPTA) at initial activation. By 12 months, five subjects had total hearing loss, and 80% of subjects maintained functional hearing. CNC words demonstrated that 82.5% and 87.5% of subjects had significant improvements in the hybrid and combined conditions, respectively. The majority had improvements with BKB-SIN. Results also indicated that as long as subjects maintained at least a severe LFPTA, there was significant improvement in speech understanding. Furthermore, all subjects reported positive improvements in hearing in three of the four subscales of the APHAB.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The concept of hybrid speech processing has significant advantages for subjects with residual low-frequency hearing. In this study, the Nucleus Hybrid S8 provided improved word understanding in quiet and noise. Additionally, there appears to be stability of the residual hearing after initial activation of the device.
  
  
  METHODS
  2c.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa.
authors.forename: Bruce J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Gantz
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa.
authors.forename: Camille
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dunn
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa.
authors.forename: Jacob
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Oleson
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa.
authors.forename: Marlan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.affiliation: Cochlear Americas, Centennial, Colorado.|Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.
authors.forename: Aaron
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Parkinson
authors.affiliation: Department of Communication Disorders, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa.
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Turner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019929:Cochlear Implantation / Q000379:methods*; D003054:Cochlear Implants; D005260:Female; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000601:surgery*; D006320:Hearing Tests; D006801:Humans; D007484:Iowa; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013067:Speech Perception / Q000502:physiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014481:United States; D014486:United States Food and Drug Administration
keywords: Hybrid cochlear implant; acoustic plus electric; hearing preservation; short electrode; speech perception