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Updated: Aug 21, 2026
Systematic Hearing Performance Evaluation Process for Adolescents with Cochlear Implantation at Early Ages
Published on: March 24, 2023
Cochlear implantation in adults with prelingual deafness. Part II. Underlying constraints that affect audiological
Su Wooi Teoh1, David B Pisoni, Richard T Miyamoto
1Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, 699 West Drive, Indianapolis, IN 46202, U.S.A. stech@iupui.edu
Objectives/Hypothesis:
To discuss the underlying physiological and anatomical constraints on audiological performance of late-implanted prelingually deafened adult cochlear implant patients.
Study Design:
Retrospective review.
Methods:
Published literature on the topic of auditory pathway responses to prolonged congenital deafness was reviewed. In particular, the authors sought to identify the anatomical and physiological changes that take place in both the peripheral and central auditory pathways in response to prolonged deafness, as well as how they are altered by chronic electrical stimulation.
Results:
The currently available evidence suggests that the colonization of the auditory cortex by other sensory modalities is the main limiting factor in postimplantation performance, not the pathological degenerative changes of the auditory nerve, cochlear nucleus, or auditory midbrain.
Conclusion:
The reviewed evidence, although circumstantial, suggests that emphasizing aurally based educational programs before (with hearing aids) and after cochlear implantation could reduce the cortical colonization phenomenon and potentially improve postimplantation audiological performance of patients with long-term prelingual deafness.