Bimodal Stimulation Compared to Unilateral Cochlear Implant

Advantages of Bimodal Stimulation Compared to Unilateral Cochlear Implant Use in Children With Hearing Loss

The majority of studies about bimodal hearing advantages have been conducted on adults but scant relevant studies into pediatric users, therefore more comparative studies are required to compare the effect of bimodal stimulation to unilateral cochlear implant use in children with severe to profound sensori-neural hearing loss .

There are now many recipients of unilateral cochlear implants who have usable residual hearing in the non-implanted ear. To avoid auditory deprivation and to provide binaural hearing, a hearing aid or a second cochlear implant can be fitted to that ear. When bilateral cochlear implant cannot be used for patients with bilateral hearing impairment, a hearing aid can be used in their non- implanted ear with residual hearing. This is because patients with bilateral hearing loss need bilateral stimulation to develop the neural pathway required for central processing of binaural hearing.

Inclusion Criteria:

1. The lack of middle-ear infection.
2. Normative intelligence.
3. The lack of auditory neuropathy disorder .
4. Residual hearing in the non-implanted ear.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Middle ear infection..
2. Below average intelligence.
3. Auditory neuropathy disorder.