Examination of individuals with hearing aids and cochlear implansts using the speech,spati̇al and qualities of hearing scale

The human ear and the sense of hearing are crucial senses that contribute to an individual's social life and play a significant role in maintaining their position in society. Human hearing can be measured both objectively and subjectively through various tests. One of the most important measurement methods is the SSQ (SPEECH, SPATIAL AND QUALITY OF HEARING SCALE) scale, which evaluates speech perception and hearing quality. Our research was conducted on 60 patients, with a total of 60 participants, including 36 female and 24 male patients. Additionally, a study was conducted on 113 patients, 53 of whom use hearing aids (27 female, 26 male). After conducting the necessary analyses in this study, the analyses of patients using cochlear implants and the sound condition levels of patients using hearing aids were compared. According to the results obtained, the average scores of participants with cochlear implants are as follows: General SSQ score 8.1 (standard deviation = 1.1), Speech score 7.8 (standard deviation = 1.4), Spatial score 7.8 (standard deviation = 1.3), and Quality score 8.5 (standard deviation = 1.0). A statistically significant difference was found between the SSQ scores of participants using cochlear implants and those using hearing aids, favoring those with cochlear implants. Moreover, among the participants using devices, it was determined that those with a higher degree of hearing loss have lower SSQ scores compared to those with lower degrees of hearing loss and those with bilateral hearing loss have lower SSQ scores compared to those with unilateral hearing loss.