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Systematic Hearing Performance Evaluation Process for Adolescents with Cochlear Implantation at Early Ages
Published on: March 24, 2023
Speech perception in children using cochlear implants: prediction of long-term outcomes
Richard C Dowell1, Shani J Dettman, Peter J Blamey
1Department of Otolaryngology, The University of Melbourne Cochlear Implant Clinic, The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, 32 Gisborne Street, East Melbourne 3002, Victoria, Australia. r.dowell@medoto.unimelb.edu.au
Cochlear Implants International
|September 16, 2008
Summary
Children with cochlear implants showed better speech understanding with shorter hearing loss duration and later onset. The SPEAK strategy improved outcomes, allowing useful prediction of post-surgery results.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Speech-Language Pathology
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Cochlear implants are vital for hearing restoration in children.
- Assessing speech perception is crucial for evaluating implant efficacy.
- Factors influencing outcomes require further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate open-set speech perception in children with Nucleus multichannel cochlear implants.
- To identify factors associated with better speech perception outcomes.
- To assess the effectiveness of the SPEAK signal coding scheme.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal assessment of 102 children using Nucleus cochlear implants.
- Six-monthly evaluations of open-set speech perception abilities.
- Multivariate analysis to identify predictive factors.
Main Results:
- Shorter duration and later onset of profound hearing loss correlated with improved speech perception.
- Exclusively oral/aural communication and greater implant experience were beneficial.
- Developmental delay was linked to poorer outcomes; SPEAK coding outperformed previous schemes.
Conclusions:
- Postoperative speech perception in pediatric cochlear implant users can be predicted with clinical utility.
- Factors like duration/onset of hearing loss and communication mode significantly impact outcomes.
- The SPEAK signal coding scheme offers enhanced speech perception performance.