My 9 month review for my new Cochlear Implant was yesterday. Most results improved, except for the ones in background noise....
HINT (open set) Sentences at 3 months: 100%
HINT (open set) Sentences at 6 months: 98%
HINT (open set) Sentences at 9 months: 100%
In background noise +10db SNR at 3 months: 92%
In Background noise +10db SNR at 6 months: 96%
In Background noise +10db SNR at 9 motnhs: 83% (gone down!)
In background noise +5db SNR at 3 months: 24%
In background noise +5db SNR at 6 months: 47%
In background noise +5db SNR at 9 months: not tested
CNC Words Alone at 3 months: 63%
CNC Words Alone at 6 months: 65%
CNC Words Alone at 9 months: 68% (Slowly improving)
CNC Words Alone Phonemes at 3 months: 82%
CNC Words Alone Phonemes at 6 months: 83%
CNC Words Alone Phonemes at 9 months: 87%
My map itself - I am weird about the high pitches, I obviously don't like them much so tend to have my comfort levels decrease as the pitch goes up. So this time my audie tilted the map up to raise the levels slightly in the high frequencies. It worked - my scores (apart from background noise) increased, however today I'm getting non-auditory stimulation so they in the high frequencies which is an utter pain. So either an electrode needs to be turned down again or one needs to be turned off. I am hoping it's not the start of anything serious!
For the last 2 maps, my threshold levels have had to be increased - each time I get a remap, I can no longer hear where I heard it the first time I was switched on. However I have a very wide or large dynamic range so no one is worried about that at this stage.
I am worried by the fact I don't cope so well in background noise - espeically compared to the first implant (N22) which I had for 15 years and heard in background noise no problem at all, and this frustrates me. I would like to know whether it will improve, or whether this is as good as it will get.
Back to the clinic on monday to fix that electrode I hope!
Forgive me for saying this, but does your audi think your ability to hear in noise may have anything to do with age? I only ask because this last time when my speech discrim went down he said it was typical as we get older. I know I could tolerate more noise way back when. Also since my aids weren't aiding well over the past eight to ten years, it is likely my brain got used to more quiet.
ReplyDeleteWhat I'm saying is it may not be a problem with the cochlear implant at all. Not helpful I know. You can clonk me on the head in real life when I visit you. But only after the wine-tasting tour. :-)
@Kim - Clunk over head! Age? Age? I'm still a spring chicken. I'm still 18yo!!! I am I am!
ReplyDeleteSeriously though - up until 2 years ago I did fine in background noise with my last implant, so I want some semblance of that again. They made a new program for me on friday and that seems to be working really well. Tried it out once and did okay, will be trying it out again today :)
Cheers
Robyn
68% For CNC Words alone and 87% CNC Words Alone Phonemes, both at 9 months post -implant is amazing Robyn! Not to mention 83% in open set with 10dB background noise. Keep it going up!
ReplyDelete@kim, its most likely that with aids you were used to the massive amplification. I am assuming that since you are implanted, you have a minimum of a moderate-severe loss, which measn your aids would have had to have been pretty powerful. SO this massive amplification was considered 'normal volume', then when implanted you taking away the huge volume increase which is presented to your eardrum and middle ear by the aids (because the CI bypasses the eardrum and middle ear),so it may be percieved as quieter initially. Just my (med-sci educated) opinion lol.
ReplyDeleteSo don't quote me on that to any audiologists!
ps if its getting quieter now, you need a new MAP most likely.