Does an audio processor upgrade improve hearing in patients with Vibrant Soundbridge?

Introduction The Vibrant Soundbridge (VSB) is available since 1996 and is regularly upgraded with new speech processors. In this observational study, the benefit of the newest processor Samba 2 is compared with the benefit of the older processor Amadé.

Method: Eight patients from the Hanover Medical School, who had already been implanted with the VSB, tested the new speech processor Samba 2 in everyday life for four weeks. With the patient's own Amadé processor, a current aided threshold, the Freiburg monosyllable test in free field, and the Oldenburg matrix test in noise were determined. The same measurements were repeated with the new Samba 2 processor after a four-week trial period.

Results The patients achieved a mean (0.5 kHz, 1 kHz, 2 kHz, 4 kHz) aided threshold of 30.8 dB  ± 8.4 dB with the old Amadé and 30.9 dB  ± 10.4 dB with the Samba 2. Using Freiburg monosyllabic test at 65 dB SPL, a speech perception of 81.3  ± 19.4% was achieved with the old Amadé processor and 83.8%  ± 19.2% with the new Samba 2 processor. At the presentation level of 80 dB SPL, a speech perception of 83.8%  ± 10.3% with the old Amadé and 93.8%  ± 9.5% with the new Samba 2 processor were measured. With the Oldenburg matrix test in 65-dB noise, patients achieved a mean speech reception threshold of 3.2  ± 2.9 dB S/N with the old Amadé and 0.2  ± 2.1 dB S/N with the new Samba 2.

Conclusion Patients with the new Samba 2 processor achieved comparably good results in terms of aided threshold and speech perception in quiet. However,) patients obtained better results and a significant hearing improvement of 3 dB S/N with the Samba 2 compared with the Amadé processor when speech perception in noise (Oldenburg matrix test) was tested.

Publikationsverlauf

Artikel online veröffentlicht:
24. Mai 2022