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Atypical cortical responses underlie poor speech perception in children using cochlear implants.
Karen A Gordon1, Sho Tanaka, Blake C Papsin
1Cochlear Implant Laboratory, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. karen.gordon@utoronto.ca
Neuroreport
|December 1, 2005
Summary
Some children with cochlear implants show atypical brain responses, indicating potential auditory cortex immaturity. This is linked to poorer speech perception, suggesting a need for further auditory processing research.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Audiology
- Speech-Language Pathology
Background:
- Speech perception varies among pediatric cochlear implant (CI) users.
- Central auditory processing of electrical input may explain this variability.
- Prelingual deafness onset is common in experienced pediatric CI users.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate cortical responses in experienced pediatric CI users.
- To correlate waveform patterns with behavioral speech perception.
- To explore potential links between auditory cortex organization and CI outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Measured cortical responses in 23 pediatric CI users (mean age 12.3 years, mean CI use 6.0 years).
- Classified cortical waveforms into three types (typical to atypical) via blind observer.
- Compared speech perception scores between groups with different waveform types.
Main Results:
- Identified three distinct types of cortical waveforms.
- Children with atypical waveforms had significantly poorer speech perception scores (P<0.05).
- Atypical responses were observed across a wide range of implantation ages.
Conclusions:
- Some pediatric CI users exhibit persistent auditory cortex immaturity or abnormal organization.
- Atypical cortical responses are associated with reduced behavioral speech perception.
- Findings highlight the importance of central auditory processing in CI success.