The use of frequency compression by cochlear implant recipients with postoperative acoustic hearing

Abstract

Background: The number of cochlear implant (CI) recipients who have usable acoustic hearing in at least one ear is continuing to grow. Many such CI users gain perceptual benefits from the simultaneous use of acoustic and electric hearing. In particular, it has been shown previously that use of an acoustic hearing aid (HA) with a CI can often improve speech understanding in noise. Purpose: To determine whether the application of frequency compression in an HA would provide perceptual benefits to CI recipients with usable acoustic hearing, either when used in combination with the CI or when the HA was used by itself. Research Design: A repeated-measures experimental design was used to evaluate..