Acúfeno e implante coclear. Experiencia preliminar / Tinnitus and cochlear implantation. Preliminary experience

Objetivo: Valorar el efecto del implante coclear en pacientes con «acúfeno incapacitante». Materiales: Realizamos una evaluación del efecto de la implantación coclear sobre la evolución del acúfeno incapacitante. Se han evaluado 3 adultos afectos de hipoacusia postlingual implantados en nuestro hospital, con acúfenos preimplantación. Los pacientes fueron evaluados de acuerdo con los efectos del acúfeno en las emociones de los pacientes y las actividades de la vida cotidiana. Resultados: De los tres, uno declaró la supresión del acúfeno, otros dos atenuación tras la cirugía, en diversos grados, no encontrando ningún paciente con peores resultados tras la implantación. Conclusiones: El efecto beneficioso de la implantación coclear sobre el acúfeno, reportado en nuestros pacientes, puede ser debido al enmascaramiento acústico, a través de la estimulación eléctrica del nervio acústico, y todo ello por la reorganización cerebral de las vías del sistema nervioso central (SNC) y las áreas de asociación cerebral tras la implantación coclear (AU)

Objective: To assess the effect of cochlear implantation in patients with disabling tinnitus. Materials: We conducted an evaluation of the effect of cochlear implantation on the development of disabling tinnitus. Three adults with pre-implantation tinnitus, implanted in our hospital, were evaluated for postlingual hearing loss. Patients were evaluated according to the effects of tinnitus on their emotions and activities of daily living. Results: One patient reported that the tinnitus disappeared and two reported different degrees of attenuation. We did not find any patients with worse outcomes after implantation. Conclusions: The beneficial effect of cochlear implantation on tinnitus reported in our patients may be due to acoustic masking, through electrical stimulation of the acoustic nerve, all from brain reorganisation of central nervous system (CNS) pathways and cerebral association areas after cochlear implantation (AU)

[Tinnitus and cochlear implantation. Preliminary experience]. / Acúfeno e implante coclear. Experiencia preliminar.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of cochlear implantation in patients with disabling tinnitus. MATERIALS: We conducted an evaluation of the effect of cochlear implantation on the development of disabling tinnitus. Three adults with pre-implantation tinnitus, implanted in our hospital, were evaluated for postlingual hearing loss. Patients were evaluated according to the effects of tinnitus on their emotions and activities of daily living. RESULTS: One patient reported that the tinnitus disappeared and two reported different degrees of attenuation. We did not find any patients with worse outcomes after implantation. CONCLUSIONS: The beneficial effect of cochlear implantation on tinnitus reported in our patients may be due to acoustic masking, through electrical stimulation of the acoustic nerve, all from brain reorganisation of central nervous system (CNS) pathways and cerebral association areas after cochlear implantation.