The simultaneous use of ACE and SPEAK in a bilaterally implanted adult

This single case study of a postlinguistically deafened adult female who utilized the Nucleus 22 cochlear implant in her left ear since 1989 and a Nucleus 24 since 2000 presents information about the progress that can be made when using different speech processing strategies in each ear. This individual utilized the F0, F1, F2, MPEAK, and later SPEAK strategies in the left ear prior to her implantation of her second ear. Because protocol required her to use the same strategy in her left and right ears during the clinical trials, she was initially programmed in SPEAK after her sequential bilateral implants. Once this study was completed, she was programmed with ACE in the right hear. Her performance with SPEAK and later ACE demonstrates the improved abilities that she was able to obtain when using these different processing schemes. The implications for programming implant recipients in different speech processing strategies in different ears are discussed.