Longitudinal Assessment of Physiological and Psychophysical Measures in Cochlear Implant Users

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Abstract
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of long-term electrical stimulation on human cochlear implant users. Repeated measures of electrically evoked auditory brain steam response (EABR) threshold, slope of the EABR growth function, and behavioral measures of threshold and dynamic range were made for a group of 22 Ineraid cochlear implant users and 19 Nucleus cochlear implant users over a 3- to 5-yr period. Data from both Ineraid and Nucleus cochlear implant users suggest that EABR threshold, slope of the EABR growth function, and behavioral measures of threshold and dynamic range remain reasonably stable for periods up to 5 yr postimplant. The results of this study show little evidence that prolonged electrical stimulation through daily use of a cochlear implant has deleterious effects on the auditory system.