Influence of hearing in the non-implanted ear and age on long-term speech recognition benefit for adult cochlear implant users with asymmetric hearing loss

Most cochlear implant (CI) users with normal hearing or mild to moderately-severe hearing loss in the non-implanted ear, known as asymmetric hearing loss (AHL), experience significant benefits in spatial hearing as compared to pre-operative abilities, though individual outcomes vary....

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Audiologists fitting cochlear implants in adults with asymmetric hearing loss should monitor the non-implanted ear's residual hearing and patient age as factors likely to influence long-term speech recognition outcomes, though specific management changes depend on the study's detailed findings.

As cochlear implant candidacy expands to include more people with asymmetric hearing loss, understanding which patient factors predict long-term speech outcomes is critical for counselling and candidacy decisions.

1. 01Study assessed long-term speech recognition in adult cochlear implant users with asymmetric hearing loss.
2. 02Residual hearing in the non-implanted ear was evaluated as a predictor of outcomes.
3. 03Patient age at implantation was analysed as a second key variable.
4. 04Asymmetric hearing loss CI recipients represent a growing and clinically distinct population.
5. 05Findings have direct implications for CI candidacy counselling and post-fitting follow-up.

PMID

42745889

DOI

10.3389/fnins.2026.1871719.

Journal

Frontiers in Neuroscience

Publication type

research_article

Evidence level

2b

Population

Adult cochlear implant users with asymmetric hearing loss

Intervention

Cochlear implantation in adults with asymmetric hearing loss