Cochlear Implants Improve Hearing in Older Adults, With No Side Effects

A study published in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery found that cochlear implants offer "clinically meaningful improvement" over hearing aids in terms of hearing and quality of life for adults 65 and older with hearing loss, reports United Press International . Previous users of hearing aids experienced a 20 percent to 40 percent improvement on commonly used measures for hearing performance after receiving cochlear implants, with no reported side effects. The researchers evaluated the performance of cochlear implants in 75 adults ranging in age from 65 to 91 years who had hearing loss and were using hearing aids in both ears. Six months following cochlear implant surgery in one ear, participants saw a 37 percent improvement in scores on the Consonant-Vowel Nucleus-Consonant test, which assesses the perception of real words and of speech sounds. "Our study demonstrates clear superiority of cochlear implants over hearing aids in many key areas, such as understanding speech, hearing in background noise, and ability to communicate," said Washington University School of Medicine's Cameron Wick. Only about 5 percent to 10 percent of those who would benefit from cochlear implants are referred to an implant center, despite significant upgrades in the technology over the past 30 or so years.