Abstract
Purpose
Refinement currently offered in new sound processors may improve noise listening capability reducing constant background noise and enhancing listening in challenging signal-to-noise conditions. This study aimed to identify whether the new version of speech processor preprocessing strategy contributes to speech recognition in background noise compared to the previous generation processor.
Methods
This was a multicentric prospective cross-sectional study. Post-lingually deaf adult patients, with at least 1 year of device use and speech recognition scores above 60% on HINT sentences in quiet were invited. Speech recognition performance in quiet and in noise with sound processors with previous and recent technologies was assessed under four conditions with speech coming from the front: (a) quiet (b) fixed noise coming from the front, (c) fixed noise coming from the back, and (d) adaptive noise ratios with noise coming from the front.
Results
Forty-seven cochlear implant users were included. No significant difference was found in quiet condition. Performance with the new processor was statistically better than the previous sound processor in all three noisy conditions (p < 0.05). With fixed noise coming from the back condition, speech recognition was 62.9% with the previous technology and 73.5% on the new one (p < 0.05). The mean speech recognition in noise was also statistically higher, with 5.8 dB and 7.1 dB for the newer and older technologies (p < 0.05), respectively.
Conclusion
New technology has shown to provide benefits regarding speech recognition in noise. In addition, the new background noise reduction technology, has shown to be effective and improves speech recognition in situations of more intense noise coming from behind.
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Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank the CI groups involved in the study, especially Prof. Dr. Ricardo Bento, Prof. Dr. Mariana Leal, Prof. Dr. Rogerio Hamerschmidt, Dr. Arthur Castilho, Prof. Dr. Shiro Tomita, Prof. Dr. Fayez Bahmad for their clinical and scientific support for this study.
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MVSGG and BC conceived the research idea and design. MVSGG and BC performed interpretation and analysis. All authors participated in data collection, preparing and reviewing the manuscript content.
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All authors have no conflict of interest to declare related to the scope of this manuscript, except BC who is a Research Manager for Cochlear Latin America.
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Goffi-Gomez, M.S., Muniz, L., Wiemes, G. et al. Contribution of noise reduction pre-processing and microphone directionality strategies in the speech recognition in noise in adult cochlear implant users. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 278, 2823–2828 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-020-06372-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-020-06372-2