Learning Objectives:

Introduction: Patients with profound hearing loss for instance as a result of cholesteatoma surgery, may experience problems with air-conduction hearing aids due to tightly fitted ear moulds and/or maximum gain restrictions by acoustic feedback. In profound mixed hearing loss that consists of a moderate sensorineural loss with a large air-bone gap a powerful direct-drive bone-conduction device (BCD) is a viable alternative for a conventional hearing aid, owing to the relatively favourable bone-conduction thresholds.

Until recently, the body-worn Baha Cordelle II processor was the only alternative for patients with a profound mixed hearing loss that needed a BCD. Recently, the head-worn Cochlear Baha 5 SuperPower Sound Processor (SP5) was introduced, which offers more advanced signal processing and wireless capabilities that may further improve the hearing experience for this patient population. In this study we will compare the performance of both devices.

Objective: We will evaluate the performance of the Baha SP5 relative to the Baha Cordelle II. The objective evaluation comprises aided thresholds, speech perception in quiet and in noise, and loudness growth measures. For the subjective evaluation questionnaires will be used.

Methods: Performance of the Baha SP5 and Baha Cordelle II will be evaluated in a group of 10 experienced Baha Cordelle users. Measures comprise free-field aided thresholds and speech perception in quiet with standard Dutch CVC monosyllables and speech perception in noise with the digits-in-noise test. Additionally, loudness growth will be measured for both devices. The performance of either device in real life will be evaluated with APHAB, SSQ, and proprietary questionnaires. The efficacy of wireless sound transmission with Baha SP5 when using the telephone or watching TV will be evaluated with a proprietary questionnaire.

Results: of this study will become available early Spring 2016. Results will be presented at the conference.