Effectiveness of Television Streaming on Cochlear Implant User Performance and Satisfaction in Quiet and in Noise.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of television (TV) streaming on cochlear implant (CI) user performance and satisfaction in quiet and in noise.

Method: Sixteen CI users (15 bilateral) were evaluated in quiet and in noise (5 dB SNR) under three CI conditions: CI only, streaming with CI microphones attenuated by 6 dB, and streaming with CI microphones muted. The audiovisual Connected Speech Test served as the signal, and the ipsilateral competing message from the SSI-ICM served as the noise. Measures of speech understanding, satisfaction with sound quality and clarity, and preference were obtained.

Results: In quiet, speech understanding and speech clarity ratings were significantly better for the streaming with CI microphones muted condition than the CI only and streaming with CI microphones attenuated conditions; however, sound quality ratings were significantly better for streaming with CI microphones muted than the CI microphones attenuated condition. In noise, speech understanding, speech clarity ratings, and sound quality ratings were significantly different across all conditions with CI only being the poorest, followed by streaming with CI microphones attenuated then by CI microphones muted being the best. In quiet, streaming with CI microphones muted was preferred over CI only. In noise, both streaming options were preferred to CI only. Overall, streaming with CI microphones attenuated was preferred to CI only.

Conclusions: CI users benefited from TV streaming in both quiet and in noise. CI users should be counseled on the benefits of adjusting CI microphone settings when using a TV streamer.