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Integrity testing of cochlear implants in the awake child

Integrity testing of cochlear implants in the awake child
Integrity testing of cochlear implants in the awake child
Cochlear implantation is becoming a routine rehabilitation process for profoundly deaf adults and children. Often children are implanted at just two or three years of age and therefore the subsequent tuning of the device is challenging. Although some children demonstrate quick and reliable responses to electrical stimulation, there are others who do not respond consistently thus causing concern about the functioning of the device. It is therefore desirable to have an objective test of the integrity of the implanted electrodes.
The principle of the integrity test is the measurement of voltages generated by the biphasic current pulses at the electrode array; this is accomplished using surface electrodes placed around the implanted ear, in conjunction with recording and averaging equipment typically used for evoked response testing. Traditional integrity testing usually requires a general anaesthetic in young children, however this study demonstrated a simple, quick and reliable method of obtaining results in the normally active child using ear-clip electrodes. Results are presented from 12 children tested in this way, and compared with results from 20 children who were tested in theatre using a different electrode configuration. The tests were performed in common ground stimulation mode, but some measurements were also made in bipolar + 1 and pseudo-monopolar modes. The three stimulation modes were compared, with the conclusion that common ground mode provides an efficient check of implant function in the awake child, while pseudo-monopolar mode may be preferable for anaesthetized patients. In addition, measurements were made in vitro using a functioning cochlear implant in a saline tank in order to investigate the current flow during stimulation.
The standard procedure in this department is to perform a full intra-operative integrity test on all implanted children. The simplified technique is used to repeat the measurements post-operatively if required.
247-256
Cullington, H.E.
a8b72e6d-2788-406d-aefe-d7f34ee6e10e
Clarke, G.P.
368ca415-da35-4f82-bf8e-c96289247bf7
Cullington, H.E.
a8b72e6d-2788-406d-aefe-d7f34ee6e10e
Clarke, G.P.
368ca415-da35-4f82-bf8e-c96289247bf7

Cullington, H.E. and Clarke, G.P. (1997) Integrity testing of cochlear implants in the awake child. British Journal of Audiology, 31 (4), 247-256. (doi:10.3109/03005369709076797). (PMID:9307820)

Record type: Article

Abstract

Cochlear implantation is becoming a routine rehabilitation process for profoundly deaf adults and children. Often children are implanted at just two or three years of age and therefore the subsequent tuning of the device is challenging. Although some children demonstrate quick and reliable responses to electrical stimulation, there are others who do not respond consistently thus causing concern about the functioning of the device. It is therefore desirable to have an objective test of the integrity of the implanted electrodes.
The principle of the integrity test is the measurement of voltages generated by the biphasic current pulses at the electrode array; this is accomplished using surface electrodes placed around the implanted ear, in conjunction with recording and averaging equipment typically used for evoked response testing. Traditional integrity testing usually requires a general anaesthetic in young children, however this study demonstrated a simple, quick and reliable method of obtaining results in the normally active child using ear-clip electrodes. Results are presented from 12 children tested in this way, and compared with results from 20 children who were tested in theatre using a different electrode configuration. The tests were performed in common ground stimulation mode, but some measurements were also made in bipolar + 1 and pseudo-monopolar modes. The three stimulation modes were compared, with the conclusion that common ground mode provides an efficient check of implant function in the awake child, while pseudo-monopolar mode may be preferable for anaesthetized patients. In addition, measurements were made in vitro using a functioning cochlear implant in a saline tank in order to investigate the current flow during stimulation.
The standard procedure in this department is to perform a full intra-operative integrity test on all implanted children. The simplified technique is used to repeat the measurements post-operatively if required.

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More information

Accepted/In Press date: 7 March 1997
Published date: 1997
Organisations: Inst. Sound & Vibration Research

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 390608
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/390608
PURE UUID: 41c4042f-4d37-458b-a58c-85ee27e06ecb
ORCID for H.E. Cullington: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-5093-2020

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Date deposited: 05 Apr 2016 13:43
Last modified: 27 Apr 2024 01:44

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Contributors

Author: H.E. Cullington ORCID iD
Author: G.P. Clarke

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