This study aimed to evaluate the differences between unilateral cochlear implant (CI) use and bimodal auditory stimulation regarding speech perception in noise and auditory reaction times.
✦ The floor
Discussion
Signed responses from readers of the wire.
Bimodal stimulation (cochlear implant plus contralateral hearing aid) may offer perceptual and reaction-time advantages over unilateral CI use; audiologists should weigh these findings when counselling candidates about bimodal fitting, pending review of the full paper's effect sizes and population details.
Clarifying the real-world benefits of bimodal versus unilateral CI use directly informs fitting decisions for the large population of CI users with residual contralateral hearing.
- 01Compared unilateral cochlear implant (CI) use against bimodal stimulation (CI + hearing aid) in the same subjects.
- 02Outcome measures included speech perception in noise and auditory reaction time.
- 03Published in European Archives of Otorhinolaryngology (doi: 10.1007/s00405-026-10463-x).
- 04Findings could influence candidacy and fitting recommendations for CI users with residual hearing.
- 05Evidence level is limited without full sample-size and design details, but journal-level peer review adds credibility.
Bimodal auditory stimulation differs from unilateral CI use in speech perception in noise and reaction time.
studypartially supported- PMID
- 42472915
- DOI
- 10.1007/s00405-026-10463-x.
- Journal
- European Archives of Otorhinolaryngology
- Publication type
- research_article
- Evidence level
- 2b
- Population
- Cochlear implant users with the ability to receive bimodal stimulation (CI + contralateral hearing aid)
- Intervention
- Bimodal auditory stimulation (cochlear implant plus contralateral hearing aid)
- Comparator
- Unilateral cochlear implant use alone
Primary outcomes
Speech perception in noise; Auditory reaction time