From the Audiometric Booth to Real‑World Soundscapes: Over Forty Years of Cochlear Implant Research Leading to Ecological Audiology

Over more than four decades, cochlear implant research has profoundly transformed the management of individuals with severe-to-profound hearing loss. Established early as one of the first structured cochlear implant programs in Canada, the Québec Cochlear Implant Program played a pioneering role in clinical innovation, research integration, and professional training. Research conducted within this program led to major advances in understanding auditory performance, neural plasticity, and functional benefits of cochlear implants (Bergeron, 1997; Blamey et al., 2013). Importantly, it also consistently revealed the limitations of audiological assessments conducted exclusively in controlled environments. This article outlines a research trajectory demonstrating how more than forty years of cochlear implant research led to the development of an ecological audiology approach, in which realistic listening environments, spatial hearing, and social participation are central targets of audiological assessment and intervention.