Evaluation of Loudness Perception Performance in Cochlear Implant Users

Soheila Nikakhlagh¹, Nader Saki¹, Majid Karimi² , Saeed Mirahmadi², Mohammad Reza Rostami²

¹Associated professor of otolaryngology, Head and neck surgery, Hearing and Speech Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran ²Audiologist, Apadana clinical research center

Abstract: Loudness perception plays pivotal role in speech perception. Intensity-difference limen (IDL) is the best index of loudness perception ability. This study aimed to compare loudness perception performance of subjects who wear cochlear implant and normal-hearing listeners at frequencies of 500, 1000, 2000 and 4000 Hz. In this cross sectional study, IDL was performed on nine postlingually cochlear implanted patients with mean age of 31.77±6.6 and 17 controls with mean age of 32.76±6.5 years. Following a training period (eight sessions on the average), the cochlear implant users were re-evaluated by the same test. Data were analyzed with statistical package of SPSS (version 18) using independent and paired t-test assessments. In the initial tests, intensity-difference limens of cochlear implant users was significantly poor when compared with that of normal-hearing controls at all test frequencies (p<0.05). The mean IDL of cochlear implant users after training period, was significantly improved (p<0.05). The results demonstrated that patients with cochlear implant have some ability of loudness perception that can be significantly improved through regular training.

Keywords: Cochlear Implant; Loudness Perception; Intensity- Difference limen

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