Early tinnitus burden and subjective hearing are candidate markers of 2-year quality of life after cochlear implantation in single-sided deafness

Cochlear implantation is a common treatment for adults with single-sided deafness (SSD), but patient-reported benefits vary. The relationships among tinnitus burden, perceived hearing ability, psychological distress, disease-specific health-related quality of life, and whether early postoperative outcomes predict later results are not well understood....

Audiologists fitting cochlear implants in single-sided deafness patients should assess early tinnitus burden and subjective hearing as routine pre- and post-operative markers, as these may predict 2-year quality-of-life outcomes and guide counselling.

Identifying early predictors of long-term quality of life after cochlear implantation in single-sided deafness can improve candidate selection, expectation management, and follow-up care protocols.

1. 01Early post-implant tinnitus burden and subjective hearing were identified as candidate predictors of 2-year quality-of-life outcomes.
2. 02Study population comprised adults with single-sided deafness receiving cochlear implants.
3. 03Published in Frontiers in Neuroscience (PMID 42063972).
4. 04Findings support routine early monitoring of tinnitus and subjective hearing in CI recipients with single-sided deafness.
5. 05Results are candidate markers — confirmatory prospective studies are needed before formal clinical guideline integration.

PMID

42063972

DOI

10.3389/fnins.2026.1832641.

Journal

Frontiers in Neuroscience

Publication type

research_article

Evidence level

2b

Population

Adults with single-sided deafness undergoing cochlear implantation

Intervention

Cochlear implantation in single-sided deafness with early assessment of tinnitus burden and subjective hearing