Objectives
Treatment options for single-sided deafness (SSD) include conventional contralateral routing of signal (CROS) hearing aid, bone conduction device (BCD), and cochlear implant (CI). Several studies have shown the advantages of binaural hearing with CI. However, due to the heterogeneity of applied methods, it is unfeasible to compare their outcomes or pool their data. The aim of this study was to evaluate binaural benefits with CI in adults with SSD, based on a consensus protocol for unified testing.
Methods
In twelve adult SSD subjects, listening abilities were obtained preoperatively unaided and with CROS and BCD trial devices, as well as with CI at one, three, six, and twelve months after first fitting. For five speech-in-noise presentation conditions (SSSDNAH, S0NAH, S0N0, S0NSSD, SAHNSSD), speech reception thresholds (SRTs) were measured for Oldenburg sentences in two different maskers, a speech-shaped noise (SSN) and a two-talker babble (TTB).
Results
With CI at six months, subjects demonstrated significant large median improvements in SRT in TTB corresponding to head shadow effects of 7.8 dB (SSSDNAH) and 5.1 dB (S0NAH), a summation effect of 3.4 dB (S0N0), and squelch effects of 4.6 dB (S0NSSD) and 5.1 dB (SAHNSSD), compared to unaided. In SSN, subjects showed significant head shadow effects of 8.5 dB (SSSDNAH) and 4.6 dB (S0NAH), and a significant summation effect of 1.4 dB. For all presentation conditions and both maskers, SRTs with CI at six months were significantly better compared to both CROS and BCD.
Conclusion
Our results show significant improvements in speech performance in noise with CI for all presentation conditions and thus head shadow, summation and squelch effects revealing advantages of binaural hearing with CI. For CROS, the benefit in masked speech perception was limited to one head shadow condition, while detrimental effects were observed for both squelch conditions.

**Objectives**
Treatment options for single-sided deafness (SSD) include conventional contralateral routing of signal (CROS) hearing aid, bone conduction device (BCD), and cochlear implant (CI). Several studies have shown the advantages of binaural hearing with CI. However, due to the heterogeneity of applied methods, it is unfeasible to compare their outcomes or pool their data. The aim of this study was to evaluate binaural benefits with CI in adults with SSD, based on a consensus protocol for unified testing.
**Methods**
In twelve adult SSD subjects, listening abilities were obtained preoperatively unaided and with CROS and BCD trial devices, as well as with CI at one, three, six, and twelve months after first fitting. For five speech-in-noise presentation conditions (SSSDNAH, S0NAH, S0N0, S0NSSD, SAHNSSD), speech reception thresholds (SRTs) were measured for Oldenburg sentences in two different maskers, a speech-shaped noise (SSN) and a two-talker babble (TTB).
**Results**
With CI at six months, subjects demonstrated significant large median improvements in SRT in TTB corresponding to head shadow effects of 7.8 dB (SSSDNAH) and 5.1 dB (S0NAH), a summation effect of 3.4 dB (S0N0), and squelch effects of 4.6 dB (S0NSSD) and 5.1 dB (SAHNSSD), compared to unaided. In SSN, subjects showed significant head shadow effects of 8.5 dB (SSSDNAH) and 4.6 dB (S0NAH), and a significant summation effect of 1.4 dB. For all presentation conditions and both maskers, SRTs with CI at six months were significantly better compared to both CROS and BCD.
**Conclusion**
Our results show significant improvements in speech performance in noise with CI for all presentation conditions and thus head shadow, summation and squelch effects revealing advantages of binaural hearing with CI. For CROS, the benefit in masked speech perception was limited to one head shadow condition, while detrimental effects were observed for both squelch conditions.

Outcomes of cochlear implantation in recipients with single-sided deafness assessed within a unified testing framework

It is with great pleasure and enthusiasm, that on behalf of the Cochlear Implant centers of the Radboud UMC in Nijmegen and Erasmus MC Sophia Children’s Hospital in Rotterdam to invite you to attend the 16th European Symposium on Pediatric Cochlear Implantation to Rotterdam, the Netherlands in 2023.

Yours sincerely, on behalf of the CI Centers at Radboud UMC and Erasmus MC,