Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 18, 2026
Performing Intracochlear Electrocochleography During Cochlear Implantation
Published on: March 8, 2022
Outcome of early cochlear implantation
Wong-Kein Low1, Mohamad Fahamy bin Iskandar, Gopal Krishna Sarepaka
1Centre for Hearing & Ear Implants, Department of Otolaryngology, Singapore General Hospital, Outram Road, Singapore 169608. low.wong.kein@sgh.com.sg
Insights
Early cochlear implantation (CI) in children with severe to profound hearing loss leads to better speech perception outcomes. This supports faster language development and integration into mainstream education.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Audiology
- Otolaryngology
- Speech-Language Pathology
Background:
- Universal newborn hearing screening identifies congenital hearing loss early.
- Severe to profound hearing loss in children may necessitate cochlear implantation (CI) for speech perception.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare speech perception outcomes in children who received cochlear implantation (CI) at or before 2 years of age versus those implanted later.
- To determine the impact of early CI on speech perception development.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective study comparing two groups: children implanted by age 2 (C1) and those implanted after age 2 (C3).
- Speech perception scores (IT-MAIS, TACL-R, PPVT) were assessed pre- and post-implantation.
- Statistical analysis, including Student's t-test, was used to determine significance.
Main Results:
- Both early (C1) and later (C3) implanted groups showed improvement in speech perception.
- A statistically significant difference in the degree of improvement was observed, favoring the early implantation group (P = 0.034).
- Follow-up periods were comparable between groups, with no significant difference.
Conclusions:
- Children receiving cochlear implants (CI) earlier demonstrate more rapid development of speech perception skills.
- Early CI facilitates the development of foundational listening abilities and spoken language acquisition.
- Early CI enhances successful integration into mainstream preschool environments, promoting social and cognitive development.
Introduction:
Universal newborn hearing screening facilitates early detection of congenital hearing loss. A child found to have severe to profound hearing loss may require a cochlear implant to access sounds in the speech frequency range.
Materials And Methods:
This retrospective study compared the speech perception outcomes of children implanted at 2 years and below (C1) with those implanted later (C3). Baseline and post-implant speech perception scores were recorded using IT-MAIS, TACL-R or PPVT. The percentage of improvement was calculated for each group and statistical significance was determined using the Student's t-test.
Results:
The median follow-up period for C1 (n = 29) and C3 (n = 29) was 29 months (range, 6 to 29 months) and 20 months (range, 5 to 32 months) respectively, which was not statistically significant. Although both groups recorded post-implant improvement of speech reception scores, the difference in the degrees of improvement was statistically significant (P = 0.034).
Conclusion:
More rapid development of speech perceptive skills was achieved in children who were implanted early. Early implantation therefore, enables children to develop good core listening skills and to potentially develop spoken language at a young age. This enhances successful integration into mainstream pre-schools which provide the environment for the early nurturing of social and cognitive skills.