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Published on: January 23, 2017
The effects of age on auditory speech perception development in cochlear-implanted prelingually deaf children
Saeid Hassanzadeh1, Mohammad Farhadi, Ahmad Daneshi
1Iranian Cochlear Implant Center (ICIC), Iran. hassanzadeh@iran.cochlea.com
Summary
Children who received cochlear implants between 0-3 years old demonstrated the best auditory speech perception. Early implantation significantly impacts speech understanding in pediatric cochlear implant users.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Pediatric Medicine
- Speech-Language Pathology
Background:
- Age at cochlear implantation is a critical factor for auditory speech perception in children.
- Understanding the impact of implantation age is crucial for optimizing outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare auditory speech perception across six distinct age groups of pediatric cochlear implant recipients.
- To identify the optimal age range for cochlear implantation to maximize speech perception.
Main Methods:
- Matched cohort study comparing children implanted between 0-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9, 10-11, and >12 years.
- Subjects matched for socioeconomic status, pre-implantation hearing, device type, speech strategy, communication mode, and language.
- Auditory speech perception assessed using standardized closed and open-set tests after a minimum of 2 years of device use.
Main Results:
- Children implanted between 0 to 3 years of age exhibited the highest levels of auditory speech perception.
- Significant differences in speech perception were observed across the different age-at-implantation groups.
Conclusions:
- Early cochlear implantation (0-3 years) is associated with superior auditory speech perception outcomes in children.
- Age at implantation is a key determinant of success in pediatric cochlear implant rehabilitation.
