Preliminary assessment of the feasibility of using AB words to assess candidacy in adults.
BACKGROUND
Adult cochlear implant (CI) candidacy is assessed in part by the use of speech perception measures. In the United Kingdom the current cut-off point to fall within the CI candidacy range is a score of less than 50% on the BKB sentences presented in quiet (presented at 70 dBSPL).


OBJECTIVE
The specific goal of this article was to review the benefit of adding the AB word test to the assessment test battery for candidacy.


RESULTS
The AB word test scores showed good sensitivity and specificity when calculated based on both word and phoneme scores. The word score equivalent for 50% correct on the BKB sentences was 18.5% and it was 34.5% when the phoneme score was calculated; these scores are in line with those used in centres in Wales (15% AB word score).


CONCLUSIONS
The goal of the British Cochlear Implant Group (BCIG) service evaluation was to determine if the pre-implant assessment measures are appropriate and set at the correct level for determining candidacy, the future analyses will determine whether the speech perception cut-off point for candidacy should be adjusted and whether other more challenging measures should be used in the candidacy evaluation.
a UCL Department of Speech , Hearing and Phonetics Science , London WC1N 1PF , UK.
Deborah A
DA
Vickers
b Midlands Auditory Implant Programme (Adults) , Birmingham B15 2TH , UK.
Alison
A
Riley
c University of Southampton Auditory Implant Service , Southampton SO17 1BJ , UK.
Rebecca
R
Ricaud
c University of Southampton Auditory Implant Service , Southampton SO17 1BJ , UK.
Carl
C
Verschuur
d St. Thomas' Hearing Implant Centre , London SE1 7EH , UK.
Stacey
S
Cooper
d St. Thomas' Hearing Implant Centre , London SE1 7EH , UK.
Terry
T
Nunn
d St. Thomas' Hearing Implant Centre , London SE1 7EH , UK.
Kath
K
Webb
e Emmeline Centre for Hearing Implants , Cambridge CB2 0QQ , UK.
Joanne
J
Muff
e Emmeline Centre for Hearing Implants , Cambridge CB2 0QQ , UK.
Frances
F
Harris
e Emmeline Centre for Hearing Implants , Cambridge CB2 0QQ , UK.
Mark
M
Chung
f Oxford Hearing Implant Programme , Oxford OX3 9DU , UK.
Jane
J
Humphries
f Oxford Hearing Implant Programme , Oxford OX3 9DU , UK.
Alison
A
Langshaw
f Oxford Hearing Implant Programme , Oxford OX3 9DU , UK.
Emma
E
Poynter-Smith
g Yorkshire Cochlear Implant Service , Bradford BD9 5HU , UK.
Catherine
C
Totten
g Yorkshire Cochlear Implant Service , Bradford BD9 5HU , UK.
Lynne
L
Tapper
g Yorkshire Cochlear Implant Service , Bradford BD9 5HU , UK.
Jillian
J
Ridgwell
h The Richard Ramsden Centre for Auditory Implants , Manchester M13 9WL , UK.
Deborah
D
Mawman
h The Richard Ramsden Centre for Auditory Implants , Manchester M13 9WL , UK.
Unai Martinez
UM
de Estibariz
h The Richard Ramsden Centre for Auditory Implants , Manchester M13 9WL , UK.
Martin
M
O'Driscoll
i Cardiff Adult Cochlear Implant Programme , Cardiff CF4 4XW , UK.
Nicola
N
George
j University College London Hospital Implant Programme , London WC1X 8DA , UK.
Francesca
F
Pinto
j University College London Hospital Implant Programme , London WC1X 8DA , UK.
Anne
A
Hall
k Bridgend Cochlear Implant Programme , Bridgend CF31 1RQ , UK.
Carol
C
Llewellyn
k Bridgend Cochlear Implant Programme , Bridgend CF31 1RQ , UK.
Razun
R
Miah
a UCL Department of Speech , Hearing and Phonetics Science , London WC1N 1PF , UK.
Ghada
G
Al-Malky
l National Institute for Health Research Nottingham Hearing Biomedical Research Unit , Nottingham NG1 5DU , UK.
Pádraig T
PT
Kitterick
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019929:Cochlear Implantation / Q000379:methods*; D003054:Cochlear Implants; D003638:Deafness / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018579:Patient Selection; D013063:Speech Discrimination Tests / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D013067:Speech Perception; D013069:Speech Reception Threshold Test / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D006113:United Kingdom; D055815:Young Adult
AB words; BKB sentences; Cochlear implant candidacy