Jeon Eun Kyung, Brown Carolyn J, Etler Christine P, O'Brien Sara, Chiou Li-Kuei, Abbas Paul J
Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA.
J Am Acad Audiol. 2010 Jan;21(1):16-27. doi: 10.3766/jaaa.21.1.3.
In the mid-1990s, Cochlear Corporation introduced a cochlear implant (CI) to the market that was equipped with hardware that made it possible to record electrically evoked compound action potentials (ECAPs) from CI users of all ages. Over the course of the next decade, many studies were published that compared ECAP thresholds with levels used to program the speech processor of the Nucleus CI. In 2001 Advanced Bionics Corporation introduced the Clarion CII cochlear implant (the Clarion CII internal device is also known as the CII Bionic Ear). This cochlear implant was also equipped with a system that allowed measurement of the ECAP. While a great deal is known about how ECAP thresholds compare with the levels used to program the speech processor of the Nucleus CI, relatively few studies have reported comparisons between ECAP thresholds and the levels used to program the speech processor of the Advanced Bionics CI.
To explore the relationship between ECAP thresholds and behavioral measures of perceptual dynamic range for the range of stimuli commonly used to program the speech processor of the Advanced Bionics CI.
This prospective and experimental study uses correlational and descriptive statistics to define the relationship between ECAP thresholds and perceptual dynamic range measures.
Twelve postlingually deafened adults participated in this study. All were experienced users of the Advanced Bionics CI system.
ECAP thresholds were recorded using the commercially available SoundWave software. Perceptual measures of threshold (T-level), most comfortable level (M-level), and maximum comfortable level (C-level) were obtained using both "tone bursts" and "speech bursts." The relationship between these perceptual and electrophysiological variables was defined using paired t-tests as well as correlation and linear regression.
ECAP thresholds were significantly correlated with the perceptual dynamic range measures studied; however, correlations were not strong. Analysis of the individual data revealed considerable discrepancy between the contour of ECAP threshold versus electrode function and the behavioral loudness estimates used for programming.
ECAP thresholds recorded from Advanced Bionics cochlear implant users always indicated levels where the programming stimulus was audible for the listener. However, the correlation between ECAP thresholds and M-levels (the primary metric used to program the speech processor of the Advanced Bionics CI), while statistically significant, was quite modest. If programming levels are to be determined on the basis of ECAP thresholds, care should be taken to ensure that stimulation is not uncomfortably loud, particularly on the basal electrodes in the array.
20世纪90年代中期，科利耳公司向市场推出了一种人工耳蜗（CI），其配备的硬件能够记录所有年龄段CI使用者的电诱发复合动作电位（ECAP）。在接下来的十年里，发表了许多研究，比较了ECAP阈值与用于对Nucleus CI言语处理器进行编程的电平。2001年，先进生物科技公司推出了Clarion CII人工耳蜗（Clarion CII内部装置也被称为CII仿生耳）。这种人工耳蜗也配备了一个允许测量ECAP的系统。虽然对于ECAP阈值与用于对Nucleus CI言语处理器进行编程的电平之间的比较已了解很多，但相对较少的研究报告了ECAP阈值与用于对先进生物科技CI言语处理器进行编程的电平之间的比较。
探讨先进生物科技CI言语处理器常用刺激范围内，ECAP阈值与感知动态范围行为测量之间的关系。
这项前瞻性实验研究使用相关和描述性统计来定义ECAP阈值与感知动态范围测量之间的关系。
12名语后聋成年人参与了本研究。他们都是先进生物科技CI系统的有经验使用者。
使用市售的SoundWave软件记录ECAP阈值。使用“短纯音”和“言语片段”获得阈值（T电平）、最舒适电平（M电平）和最大舒适电平（C电平）的感知测量值。使用配对t检验以及相关性和线性回归来定义这些感知和电生理变量之间的关系。
ECAP阈值与所研究的感知动态范围测量值显著相关；然而，相关性不强。对个体数据的分析显示，ECAP阈值与电极功能的曲线和用于编程的行为响度估计之间存在相当大的差异。
从先进生物科技人工耳蜗使用者记录的ECAP阈值始终表明编程刺激对聆听者来说可听的电平。然而，ECAP阈值与M电平（用于对先进生物科技CI言语处理器进行编程的主要指标）之间的相关性虽然具有统计学意义，但相当适度。如果要根据ECAP阈值确定编程电平，应注意确保刺激不会过于响亮而令人不适，特别是在阵列中的基底电极上。
