Conclusion

1
The Benefit of using an FM Radio Aid System with
Cochlear Implant users Wood EJ, Flynn SL and
Eyles JA University of Southampton UK
isvr

Aim To demonstrate improved speech discrimination
in noise with the use of FM radio aids in
cochlear implant users

• Results
• The mean score at which children identified 71
  toys correctly was-
• in quiet without FM aid 55.4dB sd 6.2dB
• in quiet with FM aid 47.9dB sd 7.3 dB
  
• in noise without FM aid 65.6dB sd 2.3dB
• in noise with FM aid 51.0dB sd 8.9dB
• T-test Results
• in quiet with and without FM aid t-4.1 plt0.002
• in noise with and without FM aid t5.95 plt0.001
• in quiet and noise without FM aid t6.59 plt0.001
• in quiet and noise with FM aid t-1.01 NS
• Correlations
• test-retest reliability r0.70 plt0.025
• age of subjectATT in quiet r0.31 NS

• Method
• The McCormick Automated Toy Test (ATT) was used
  to evaluate speech discrimination in noise. The
  Toy Test uses an adaptive technique to obtain a
  result at which the subject scores 71 correct.
  The maximum level that speech can be delivered is
  70 dB(A). A fixed noise level (pink noise) of
  55dB(A) was used.
• Subjects
• 12 children aged between 5-15 years
• 6 male, 6 female
• 7 Nucleus CI22 users 5 Nucleus CI24 users
• 9 children used Connevans CRM220 FM radio aids
• 3 children used Phonic Ear 475 FM radio aids
• 9 children attended HI Units 3 attended
  mainstream school
• All children were at least one year post implant
  before the fitting of the FM aid
• All children had used their FM aid for at least 6
  months

• Discussion
• 10 of the 12 children were able to discriminate
  speech better in quiet with the FM system
• all children were able to discriminate speech
  better in noise with the FM system
• the ability to discriminate speech at lower
  levels will make listening more comfortable for
  the child
• the child can listen at a comfortable level
  independent of where the teacher is standing
• the child is less susceptible to noise in the
  classroom if using the FM system
• like implants without FM systems, there is
  considerable individual variation in the amount
  of benefit an FM aid gives
• further work is planned to look at operating
  ranges of FM aids with cochlear implants to
  consider signal level and clarity
• further investigation into why some children make
  more use of an FM aid would be useful

Benefit of using FM aid in 55dB(A) noise
Conclusion The benefits of FM radio aids used
with cochlear implants are comparable to FM aids
used with hearing aids Reference McCormick B
(1977) The Toy Discrimination Test An aid for
screening the hearing of children above the
mental age of 2 years. Public Health London 91,
67-69
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20
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