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Introduction: Structure and hearing preservation are important factors in cochlear implant (CI) surgery. To improve outcomes, impedance measurements of the CI electrode can be used to monitor these parameters after electrode insertion to detect delayed hearing losses: electrode impedance is thought to be a biomarker for inner ear inflammation after insertion of a CI electrode into the cochlea. Within the present study, impedance changes over time were analyzed using an app-based solution for daily in-vivo impedance measurements of CI recipients. Material and methods: N = 22 participants were asked to use a research software, the Telemetry Study App, to measure the impedance of all 12 electrode contacts morning and evening for a period of at least 4 months after implantation. Depending on the start of electrical stimulation, the cohort was divided into (1) direct activation (DA) and (2) non-DA group. Results: In both groups, lower impedances were observed in the evening compared to the morning with the onset of electrical stimulation. An increase in mean impedances was shown up to 10 days after surgery. Mean impedances of the DA group reached a plateau after about 30 days after surgery while the non-DA group continued to show a slight increase. Impedance values of the DA group remained mostly unaffected from the start of the first fitting week (~day 40 postoperatively) but decreased in the non-DA group. Mean impedances of the non-DA group were slightly lower than those of the DA group at this time but converged at the end of the investigation period. Conclusions: The Telemetry App allowed for daily impedance measurements and hence for monitoring of the inner ear condition. With increased measurement frequency, the impedance development over time after CI surgery could be shown. In addition, daily impedance fluctuations were observed with the onset of electrical stimulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Hearing implants such as cochlear implants, middle ear implants, and bone conduction devices amplify or restore hearing in individuals with hearing loss. In recent years patient-reported outcomes, especially subjective benefit on quality of life and quality of hearing, have gained increased attention in hearing research. While generic and hearing-specific questionnaires on quality of life have been widely used, a reliable and validated questionnaire on user satisfaction with their audio processors has been lacking for hearing implants. To validly and reliably evaluate user satisfaction with everyday use of their external device, MED-EL developed the Audio Processor Satisfaction Questionnaire (APSQ). This questionnaire consists of 15 items answerable on a visual analog scale ranging from 0 (no satisfaction) to 10 (very high satisfaction). Principal component analysis had shown that these 15 items can be allocated to one of three subscales: Wearing Comfort, Usability, and Social Life. The aim of present study is to investigate the test-retest reliability and validity of the questionnaires in 40 hearing implant users. All subjects were asked to complete the APSQ twice with a time window of 2-4 weeks in between. A preliminary analysis was performed on 36 subjects. Their median total score (8.8) showed a high level of satisfaction. The median scores for the three subscales also showed high levels of satisfaction: Wearing Comfort (8.3), Usability (9.0), and Social Life (8.4). The test-retest reliability will be calculated when the study is closed. According to the preliminary results, subjects are highly satisfied with their audio processor. In general, the APSQ also allows user satisfaction to be compared across different processor types and/or generations. Abstracts • 57--386 114 © Journal of Hearing Science® · 2018 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]