Evaluation of a New Algorithm to Optimize Audibility in Cochlear Implant Recipients.
Laura K Holden, Jill B Firszt, Ruth M Reeder and 3 others
PMID 30418283WHAT IT FOUND
The SoftVoice algorithm improved hearing of soft speech in quiet for cochlear implant users without harming normal conversation.
However, it made environmental noises bothersome for some. Lowering sensitivity thresholds to reduce this noise also reduced the benefit for soft speech, requiring a trade-off in programming.
Key findings
01SoftVoice significantly improved sentence recognition at soft levels (35-50 dB SPL) compared to the standard program.
02Half of the participants taking the algorithm home reported that environmental sounds became irritating or bothersome.
03Lowering the detection thresholds to reduce bothersome noise resulted in significantly worse soft-speech perception than the standard high-threshold setting.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The sample size was small (16 in Study 1A, 10 in subsequent phases). Participants were mostly high-performing CI users, so results may not generalize to those with poor speech recognition. In the home-use phase, researchers could not track how much time participants spent using each program, so it is unclear if lack of benefit was due to the algorithm or lack of use. The study was conducted at a single center.
Declared interests
The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health (N.I.H., Extramural) and Non-U.S. Government research support. The text does not explicitly declare conflicts of interest regarding Advanced Bionics, the manufacturer of the tested algorithm, though the company developed the technology.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that reducing detection thresholds to fix noise annoyance is a harmless adjustment. The study showed that lowering thresholds significantly degraded the ability to hear soft speech, negating the primary benefit of the algorithm.