Benefits of bone conduction hearing aid in children with unilateral aural atresia

Acta Otorhinolaryngol Ital. 2023 Jun;43(3):221-226. doi: 10.14639/0392-100X-N2271.

Abstract
in English, Italian

Objective: To assess the hearing benefit with a unilateral bone conduction hearing aid in a cohort of children with unilateral aural atresia.

Methods: Cross-sectional case series pilot study involving 7 children (median age: 10 years, range 6-11). All patients underwent pure-tone, speech, aided sound field and aided speech audiometry and Simplified Italian Matrix Test (SIMT) with and without bone conduction hearing aid (Baha 5® CochlearTM). Cognitive abilities were assessed in 5 patients.

Results: The mean air conduction pure-tone average (PTA) of the atretic ear was 63.2 ± 6.9 dB, while the bone conduction PTA was 12.6 ± 4.7 dB. Speech discrimination score of the atretic ear was 88.6 ± 3.8 dB, while with the hearing aid it was 52.8 ± 1.9 dB. In the contralateral ear, there was no significant air-bone gap, and PTAs for air and bone conduction thresholds were within normal range (PTA ≤ 25 dB). The mean aided air conduction hearing threshold was 26.2 ± 7.97. Mean speech recognition threshold without the hearing aid was -5.1 ± 1.9 dB, and -6.0 ± 1.7 dB with the hearing aid tested with the SIMT. The mean score of the cognitive test was 46.8 ± 42.8.

Conclusions: These preliminary findings should encourage clinicians in proposing a unilateral bone conduction hearing aid in children with unilateral atresia.

Beneficio dell’apparecchio acustico a conduzione ossea nei bambini con atresia auris unilaterale.

Obiettivo: Verificare il beneficio uditivo con protesi monolaterale per via ossea in pazienti affetti da atresia auricolare unilaterale, una rara causa di ipoacusia trasmissiva unilaterale congenita.

Metodi: Uno studio pilota trasversale di casi ha coinvolto 7 bambini (età mediana di 10 anni, intervallo 6-11). I pazienti sono stati sottoposti ad audiometria tonale, vocale, tonale protesica e vocale protesica e Matrix test Italiano semplificato (SIMT) con e senza apparecchio acustico a conduzione ossea (Baha 5® CochlearTM).

Risultati: La soglia tonale media (PTA) della conduzione aerea dell’orecchio atresico era di 63,2 ± 6,9 dB, mentre la PTA della conduzione ossea era di 12,6 ± 4,7 dB. Il punteggio di discriminazione vocale (SDS) dell’orecchio atretico era di 88,6 ± 3,8 dB, con l’apparecchio acustico l’SDS era di 52,8 ± 1,9 dB. Nell’orecchio controlaterale, non vi era alcun gap aereo-osso significativo e le PTA per le soglie di conduzione aerea e ossea erano all’interno dell’intervallo normale (PTA ≤ 25 dB). La soglia uditiva media per via aerea con l’apparecchio acustico era di 26,2 ± 7,97 dB. La soglia media di riconoscimento vocale senza l’apparecchio acustico era -5,1 ± 1,9 dB, mentre era -6,0 ± 1,7 dB con l’apparecchio acustico testato con il SIMT. Il punteggio medio del test cognitivo era 46,8 ± 42,8.

Conclusioni: I risultati preliminari di questo studio incoraggiano i medici a proporre l’uso unilaterale di un apparecchio acustico a conduzione ossea nell’atresia unilaterale nei bambini.

Keywords: Simplified Italian Matrix Test; aural atresia; bone conduction hearing aids; conductive hearing loss; unilateral hearing loss.

MeSH terms

  • Bone Conduction
  • Child
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Ear / abnormalities
  • Hearing Aids*
  • Hearing Loss, Conductive
  • Humans
  • Pilot Projects
  • Speech Perception*
  • Treatment Outcome

Grants and funding

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.