OPEN-SET WORD RECOGNITION WITH THE DUREN/COLOGNE EXTRACOCHLEAR IMPLANT

The author visited Duren, West Germany and evaluated the performance of five patients implanted with the extracochlear Duren/Cologne implant who achieved better word recognition levels. Word and sentence speech reception tests were presented live-voice by a familiar German speaker. Performance ranged from 1% to 80% correct word recognition with sentence material, 0% to 63% correct word recognition with word lists, and 13% to 86% correct recognition for phonemes in words. One patient achieved high-level, open-set word recognition without visual cues, using single-channel, extracochlear stimulation. Preimplant auditory thresholds in her implanted ear were 60, 65, 90, and 105 dB HL at octave frequencies from 125 to 1,000 Hz, respectively. There was no measurable hearing at higher audiometric frequencies.