Developing an assessment approach for perceptual changes to tinnitus sound characteristics for adult cochlear implant recipients.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the impact of cochlear implantation on tinnitus suppression, characteristics, localization, and duration.

DESIGN

A cochlear implant (CI) recipient-focused postal questionnaire survey.

STUDY SAMPLE: The questionnaire was posted, with consent, to 100 adults who had received a unilateral CI at the RNTNEH between 1988 and 1999. All adults spoke English as their first language and were postlingually deafened. Sixty-eight adults (38 female, 29 male, one unspecified) aged 31-80 years (mean 61 years) completed and returned the questionnaire without interview.

RESULTS

With the processor 'ON', CI recipients experienced total or partial suppression of tinnitus ipsilateral to their CI in 57% of cases, and in 43% where tinnitus was perceived contralateral to the CI. The percentage of CI recipients who experienced high tone tinnitus was reduced from 60% pre-implant to 29% post-implant with the processor 'ON' while pulsatile tinnitus was reduced from 38% pre-implant to 13% post-implant. CIs were also found to reduce the tonal complexity and duration, and change the source localization of tinnitus post-implantation.

CONCLUSIONS

Perceptual changes to tinnitus can take place post-implantation. Changes can occur within the four categories explored: tinnitus suppression, characteristics, localization, and duration of awareness per day.