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INTRODUCTION: More than 3,000 patients have received a cochlear implant in Hannover. METHODS: A group of 864 patients was selected from the main group for the analysis of speech perception development. Depending on the term of introduction of new implant technology, the viewed group was divided into 5 subgroups. RESULTS: The test battery during regular clinical checkups included speech perception tests. Those tests changed during 20 years; only speech tracking and monosyllable word test remained and were the bases for forming performance classes shown in this study. Three performance classes can be specified for all 5 subgroups by mean values and standard deviations. CONCLUSION: In all subgroups, an improvement of speech perception can be observed over time. The current patient group showed significant better performing results than those of the first group.
Krüeger et al. (Sun,) studied this question.