gms | German Medical Science

76th Annual Meeting of the German Society of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery

German Society of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery

04.05. - 08.05.2005, Erfurt

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Using the loudness to optimize the stimulation rate in the HiRes Cochlear Implant system

Meeting Abstract

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  • corresponding author Carolin Frohne-Büchner - Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Hannover
  • Martina Brendel - Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Hannover
  • Andreas Büchner - Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Hannover
  • Timo Stöver - Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Hannover
  • Thomas Lenarz - Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Hannover

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Hals-Nasen-Ohren-Heilkunde, Kopf- und Hals-Chirurgie. 76. Jahresversammlung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Hals-Nasen-Ohren-Heilkunde, Kopf- und Hals-Chirurgie e.V.. Erfurt, 04.-08.05.2005. Düsseldorf, Köln: German Medical Science; 2005. Doc05hno557

The electronic version of this article is the complete one and can be found online at: http://www.egms.de/en/meetings/hno2005/05hno018.shtml

Published: September 22, 2005

© 2005 Frohne-Büchner et al.
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Outline

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In a previous study it was found that the optimal stimulation rate is not necessarily the highest rate. Only one third of the subjects achieved their best results with the highest rate compared to four slower rates tested. An analysis of the M-level at the different rates suggested that the optimal rate leads to the lowest M-level.

To investigate this assumption further a study was initiated to correlate the preferred rate with the rate that leads to the highest loudness.

Seven post-lingual deafened subjects with more than three months experience in HiRes were fitted with three programs with 8 channels at three different rates between 500 and 5000pps. During a period of one month they tested which one they preferred. In addition the loudness was tested at different rates in an acute test session.

Five subjects perceived a loudness maximum at a certain rate, for lower or higher rates the loudness decreased slightly. Two subjects had a range of constant loudness perception with loudness decrease at lower or higher rates. Six subjects preferred the rate at or close to the maximum of loudness perception. Further investigation is necessary to objectify these results with Neural Response Imaging (NRI).

The current results confirm the hypotheses that each subject has an optimal stimulation rate that leads to the highest loudness.