Final answer:
The goal of hearing aid fitting is to optimize audibility and speech understanding. Cochlear implants restore hearing by sending electrical impulses to the auditory nerve but are not effective for hearing loss due to an abnormal auditory nerve or issues beyond the cochlear level.
Step-by-step explanation:
The goal of a hearing aid fitting is to optimize audibility and speech understanding and not to completely restore normal hearing. This involves adjusting the hearing aid settings to the individual's hearing loss, ensuring comfort, and improving the ability to understand speech, especially in noisy environments.
Regarding cochlear implants, they are designed to restore hearing for individuals with a nonfunctional cochlea by converting sounds into electrical impulses that are sent directly to the auditory nerve. As such, cochlear implants can improve hearing when there is a loss of hair cells in the organ of Corti.
However, they would not be effective for types of hearing loss not related to the cochlea's function, such as hearing loss resulting from an abnormal auditory nerve or middle ear damage, where the nerve is not intact or the transmission of sound to the cochlea is disrupted. Cochlear implants are less likely to benefit individuals whose hearing loss is primarily due to issues beyond the cochlear level. Therefore, the answer to the question is hearing loss resulting from an abnormal auditory nerve.