The binaural cues in the single-sided deafness rehabilitation with cochlear implant

The aim of the study was to investigate speech perception in noise in patients with Single-Sided Deafness (SSD) who received cochlear implant (CI). A cross-sectional, experimental, retrospective study was conducted involving 15 patients with SSD (8 males and 7 females, mean age 41.1 years). The SSD in the studied sample had different etiologies including cases with poor prognosis. All subjects underwent the Matrix test in Italian language in three different spatial configurations: speech and noise both from the front, speech from the front and noise on SSD side, speech on SSD side and noise on normal hearing side. Each condition was measured with the deaf side aided by cochlear implant or unaided. The patients were then invited to complete The Speech, Spatial and Qualities of Hearing Scale (SSQ; Gatehouse & Noble, 2004). Speech perception thresholds via Italian Matrix Sentence Test were measured initially in 15 patients and subsequently in 12 patients, given the exclusion of three participants as they were non users. With the use of cochlear implant were observed improvements in the head shadow effect in the sample of 15 patients and also in the squelch effect in the sample of 12 patients. No statistically significant results emerged from the SSQ questionnaire. Patients who have received CI as treatment for SSD may experience benefits in speech recognition in noise, even in challenging cases.