Data from: Investigation of the effect of cochlear implant electrode length on speech comprehension in quiet and noise compared with the results with users of electro-acoustic-stimulation, a retrospective analysis

Objectives: This investigation evaluated the effect of cochlear implant (CI) electrode length on speech comprehension in quiet and noise and compare the results with those of EAS users. Methods: 91 adults with some degree of residual hearing were implanted with a FLEX20, FLEX24, or FLEX28 electrode. Some subjects were postoperative electric-acoustic-stimulation (EAS) users; the other subjects were in the groups of electric stimulation-only (ES-only). Speech perception was tested in quiet and noise at 3 and 6 months of ES or EAS use. Speech comprehension results were analyzed and correlated to electrode length. Results: While the FLEX20 ES and FLEX24 ES groups were still in their learning phase between the 3 to 6 months interval, the FLEX28 ES group was already reaching a performance plateau at the three months appointment yielding remarkably high test scores. EAS subjects using FLEX20 or FLEX24 electrodes outscored ES-only subjects with the same short electrodes on all 3 tests at each interval, reaching significance with FLEX20 ES and FLEX24 ES subjects on all 3 tests at the 3-months interval and on 2 tests at the 6- months interval. Amongst ES-only subjects at the 3- months interval, FLEX28 ES subjects significantly outscored FLEX20 ES subjects on all 3 tests and the FLEX24 ES subjects on 2 tests. At the-6 months interval, FLEX28 ES subjects still exceeded the other ES-only subjects although the difference did not reach significance. Conclusions: Among ES-only users, the FLEX28 ES users had the best speech comprehension scores, at the 3- months appointment and tendentially at the 6 months appointment. EAS users showed significantly better speech comprehension results compared to ES-only users with the same short electrodes.研究目的：本研究评估了人工耳蜗（cochlear implant, CI）电极长度对安静及噪声环境下言语理解能力的影响，并将结果与电声刺激（electric-acoustic-stimulation, EAS）使用者的相关数据进行对比。 研究方法：招募91名存在不同程度残余听力的成人受试者，分别植入FLEX20、FLEX24或FLEX28型电极。其中部分受试者为术后电声刺激（EAS）使用者，其余受试者属于仅电刺激（electric stimulation-only, ES-only）组。 在使用电刺激或电声刺激后的3个月与6个月时，分别测试受试者的言语感知能力。对言语理解结果进行分析，并与电极长度开展相关性研究。 研究结果：FLEX20 ES组与FLEX24 ES组在3至6个月期间仍处于学习适应阶段，而FLEX28 ES组在术后3个月时已达到性能平台期，测试得分显著较高。使用FLEX20或FLEX24电极的EAS受试者，在两个时间点的三项测试中得分均高于同使用短电极的仅电刺激（ES-only）受试者；其中在3个月时，FLEX20 ES组与FLEX24 ES组的三项测试得分差异均具有统计学意义，6个月时则有两项测试得分差异具有统计学意义。在仅电刺激受试者中，术后3个月时FLEX28 ES组的三项测试得分均显著高于FLEX20 ES组，且有两项测试得分显著高于FLEX24 ES组；术后6个月时，FLEX28 ES组得分仍高于其他仅电刺激组，但差异未达到统计学显著性。 研究结论：在仅电刺激使用者中，FLEX28 ES组受试者在术后3个月时的言语理解得分最高，术后6个月时亦呈此趋势。与使用相同短电极的仅电刺激受试者相比，电声刺激使用者的言语理解结果显著更优。