EVALUATION OF TEST-RETEST RELIABILITY OF AUTONRT MEASUREMENTS IN COCHLEAR IMPLANT RECIPIENTS

Materials and methods: 50 CI users, aged 3 to 41 years (Mean: 7 years), with normal cochlear anatomy and at least six months of implant use included in the study. Except for one participant, others were unilateral CI users. ECAP thresholds were measured using the AutoNRT system, conducted twice with a 10-min. interval between measurements. Reliability was assessed by comparing AutoNRT threshold measurements across two consecutive sessions on an electrode basis. Consistencies between electrode measurements were calculated using Spearman Rho correlation coefficients and Intraclass Correlation Coefficients (ICC). Average deviations between electrodes were examined by calculating Bland–Altman Consistency Limits (Upper/Lower Consistency Limits — LOA) with a 95% confidence interval.

Results: Nearly all electrodes demonstrated a high level of measurement reliability (ICC > 0.80). Electrodes E19 (ICC = 0.96), E20 (ICC = 0.97), and E8 (ICC = 0.94) showed the highest consistency. The small Mean Bias values and narrow LOA ranges for these electrodes indicate strong agreement between measurements. General trend indicates that most systematic differences were small, and their confidence intervals typically included zero.

Conclusion: AutoNRT can be utilized effectively and reliably in clinical settings. These findings suggest that AutoNRT may provide clinicians with a rapid and objective tool for cochlear implant programming, particularly in populations where behavioral responses are limited or unreliable. Keywords : Cochlear implant, AutoNRT, ECAP, Reliability, Hearing loss