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Updated: Jun 8, 2026
Systematic Hearing Performance Evaluation Process for Adolescents with Cochlear Implantation at Early Ages
Published on: March 24, 2023
Improved speech discrimination after cochlear implantation in the Southern Cochlear Implant Adult Programme
Justine Bradley1, Philip Bird, Penny Monteath
1Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck surgery, Christchurch Hospital, and Department of Public Health and General Practice, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand.
Aim:
To assess the rate and amount of improvement in speech discrimination scores following cochlear implant (CI) at the Southern Cochlear Implant Programme-Adult (SCIPA).
Methods:
A retrospective review of those implanted between 1999 and 2008 at SCIPA. We recorded type of implant, age of onset of deafness, age at implant, aetiology, and speech discrimination test (hearing in noise test, HINT) results pre-implant and over time post-implant.
Results:
The mean post-implant HINT score (auditory alone) for the 78 patients who had follow-up up to nine months was 74%, and at 18 months (52 patients) was 81%, compared with a mean pre-implant score of 15%. Performance plateaued at around 6 months post-implant. Age at operation was unrelated to outcome but earlier onset of deafness (and higher percentage of life deaf) gave a poorer outcome. Medium pre-implant scores were associated with lower post-implant scores than those with low or high pre-implant scores.
Conclusions:
Our results compare favourably with world-wide standards. Benefit in speech discrimination appears to plateau 6 months post-implant. A shorter duration of deafness or percentage of life spent deaf gives better results, but patients with very poor pre-implant functioning may in fact perform better at long term follow-up than those with slightly better pre-implant functioning.