electric-acoustic stimulation
A hearing rehabilitation strategy combining a cochlear implant for high-frequency electrical stimulation with a hearing aid in the same or contralateral ear for low-frequency acoustic amplification.
Full Definition
Electric-acoustic stimulation (EAS) is indicated for patients with significant high-frequency sensorineural hearing loss but preserved low-frequency hearing. The cochlear implant electrode array is typically shorter than a standard array to minimise trauma to the apical region, thereby protecting residual low-frequency hearing. EAS exploits the complementary nature of acoustic and electrical hearing to improve speech understanding in noise and music perception. Editors should hyphenate the adjectival form ('electric-acoustic stimulation device') and expand EAS on first use; note that EAS differs conceptually from bimodal fitting, where the two ears receive different device types independently.
Usage
Usage note: Hyphenate 'electric-acoustic' consistently. EAS should be expanded on first use. Distinguish from bimodal fitting, where electric and acoustic stimulation occur in separate ears.
In Context
- "Electric-acoustic stimulation was recommended given the patient's ski-slope audiogram with residual low-frequency hearing." — Cochlear implant pre-operative report
- "Following EAS fitting, the patient demonstrated improved consonant recognition in background noise." — Post-implantation outcomes letter