Cochlear implants: Is there any relationship between stimulation rates andadaptation?

Objective: To determine the relationship between stimulation rate and adapt ation in cochlear implant users. Study Design: A prospective clinical study. Setting: This study was conducted at Hacettepe University Medical Faculty, which is a tertiary care and cochlear implant center in Ankara, Turkey. Patients: Seven patients (three women, four men) who were using Nucleus CI 24 M cochlear implants (Cochlear Corp., Lane Cove, NSW, Australia). Two of them had become deaf after developing language skills, and five had congeni tally deafness. Results: Six patients demonstrated no tone decay. Only one patient, who had congenital hearing loss, demonstrated tone decay at stimulation rates of 2 50, 500, 720, 900 pulses per second. There is no statistically significant relationship between the stimulation rate and the selected electrode. Conclusion: The majority of the cochlear implant patients sustained the per ception of a continuous electrical signal for I minute at 5 to 10 current l evels above threshold.