3.1 Analysis of outcome differences among all cases (n = 102)
Among the parameters (age, threshold at each frequency,
PTA4, gender, lesion site, type of hearing loss, subtype
of AHL, and etiology of hearing loss), only age and etiology differed
significantly. Successful users were younger than intermittent users
(p = 0.041; 59 ± 13 years old for successful users; 67 ± 12 years
old for intermittent users; 65 ± 15 years old for failed users). No
frequency differed significantly with three outcomes (Figure 1A) or two
outcomes (Figure 2A). Compared with the other unspecified etiologies,
the retrocochlear etiology of hearing loss was found more often for
successful users than for other two users (p = 0.008; Figure 3A)
and also found more often for successful-intermittent users than for the
failed users (p = 0.037; Figure 3C). Compared with CNS or other
unspecified causes, sudden hearing loss was found more often for
successful users than for the other two user groups (p =
0.006)(Figure 3B).
For three outcomes (successful user versus intermittent users versus
failed users), the discriminant function was D = -2.886 + (1.182 *
etiology (sudden hearing loss versus CNS versus other unspecified
causes)(discriminating power = 47.1%). For two outcomes
(successful-intermittent users versus failed users), the discriminant
function was D = -3.797 + (2.226 * etiology (retrocochlear versus other
unspecified causes)(discriminating power = 52.0%).