Artikel
Comparative study of the new audio processor Amadé versus hearing aids on patients with moderate to profound sensorineural hearing loss
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Autoren
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Anna-Lena Hinze
- Medical University of Hannover, Department of Otolaryngology, Hannover, Germany
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Hamidreza Mojallal
- Medical University of Hannover, Department of Otolaryngology, Hannover, Germany
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Thomas Giere
- Medical University of Hannover, Department of Otolaryngology, Hannover, Germany
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Thomas Lenarz
- Medical University of Hannover, Department of Otolaryngology, Hannover, Germany
| Veröffentlicht: | 6. Juli 2010 |
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Gliederung
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Introduction: The first implantation of the Vibrant Soundbridge (VSB) was performed on a patient with a sensorineural hearing loss in Hannover in the year 1997. Since then several generations of the extern worn audio processor (AP) were launched by MED-EL. The new AP Amadé makes modern hearing aids technologies accessible for the patients. Within the process of upgrading the VSB-patients from AP 404 to the new AP Amadé, tests were performed with traditional hearing aids additionally. The aim was to detect the best hearing system for the patient.
Methods: Till now 11 experienced patients were invited to the study. The averaged age was 68,8 years and the group separates in 4 females and 7 males. The former audio processor AP 404 has been used since at least six months, averaged 40,9 months. The pure tone thresholds of all subjects were at the lower third of the indication field with an average of 58,2 dB. The subjects were separated in two groups. One group started with the audio processor Amadé, the other group has been provided with a traditional hearing aid. On the second fitting it switched. After a test period of four weeks the patients did the following test battery with each hearing device: free field audiometry with sinus tones, Freiburger monosyllable test, Oldenburger sentence test in noise and the HDSS (Hearing Device Satisfaction Scale) questionnaires.
Results: All 11 subjects had a hearing benefit from each hearing device. The lower and high frequencies were presented much better by the AP Amadé. There was an improvement for the monosyllable words with both traditional hearing aid (75,6% at 65 dB and 87,2% at 80 dB) and AP Amadé (78,9% at 65 dB and 91,1% at 80 dB). So far the results of the Oldenburger sentence test hardly showed improvements for hearing in noisy environments with one of the newer hearing devices. This statement was reconfirmed by questionnaires.
Conclusion: First results indicate improvement in speech intelligibility. This implies that patients with implantable hearing aids could profit from modern hearing aid technologies. By upgrading the audio processor, enlarged advantages can be realised for the patients.
