Evaluation of Stimulus Artifacts to Determine the Electrode Status after Cochlear Implantation

Heo, Seung-Deok; Kang, Myung-Koo; Park, Young-Deok; Lee, Hyun-Jik; Choi, Ah-Hyun

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Commun Sci Disord. 2007;12(3): 532-543.

Seung-Deok Heo^` , Myung-Koo Kang^` , Young-Deok Park^` , Hyun-Jik Lee^` , and Ah-Hyun Choi^`

허승덕(Seung-Deok Heo)| 강명구(Myung-Koo Kang)| 박영덕(Young-Deok Park)| 이현직(Hyun-Jik Lee)| 최아현(Ah-Hyun Choi)

ABSTRACT

Background & Objectives : In an auditory neuroelectrophysiologic study, a stimulus artifact can be one of the biggest interferences in evoked potential analysi~ however, the stimulus arti fact is individua lly represented by the specific characteristics of the stimu lus. According ly, the patterns of a stimulus art ifact can provide an indication for the pred iction of the electrode array status in cochlear implantation. The aim of this study is to determine the efficiency of evaluating the electrode array status by analyzing a stimulus art ifact after cochlear implantation.
Methods
Part icipants in the study ineluded a normal child with respect to electrophysio logieal status, a girl and an adult with re-implantation, and two c hild ren and one adult with a partia lly abnorma l finding in an electrode-tissue impedance evaluation. Th is study retrospectively compared the stimulus artifacts with the patterns of auditory evoked potential and electrode-tissue impedance.
Results
Stimulus artifacts were re lated to the action potentials in the auditory nerve, to the detection of electrode breakdown in abnormal electrode-tissue impedance. and to the electrode position and existence of a foreign body in the cochlear duct.
Discussion & Conclusion
The type of stimulus artifact could d etcrminc the elcctrodc status in cases of abnormal electrode-tissue impedance that lacks confirmation with auditory evoked potentials. We expect that the stimulus arti fact will be a useful audiological evaluation tool for a pat ient who shows poor audio logical performance with their implant.