Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 19, 2026
Systematic Hearing Performance Evaluation Process for Adolescents with Cochlear Implantation at Early Ages
Published on: March 24, 2023
Bilateral versus unilateral cochlear implants in children: speech recognition, sound localization, and parental
Filip Asp1, Elina Mäki-Torkko, Eva Karltorp
1Department of ENT, Section of Cochlear Implants, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden. filip.asp@ki.se
Objective:
To compare bilateral and unilateral speech recognition in quiet and in multi-source noise, and horizontal sound localization of low and high frequency sounds in children with bilateral cochlear implants.
Design:
Bilateral performance was compared to performance of the implanted side with the best monaural speech recognition in quiet result. Parental reports were collected in a questionnaire. Results from the CI children were compared to binaural and monaural performance of normal-hearing peers.
Study Sample:
Sixty-four children aged 5.1-11.9 years who were daily users of bilateral cochlear implants. Thirty normal-hearing children aged 4.8-9.0 years were recruited as controls.
Results And Conclusions:
Group data showed a statistically significant bilateral speech recognition and sound localization benefit, both behaviorally and in parental reports. The bilateral speech recognition benefit was smaller in quiet than in noise. The majority of subjects localized high and low frequency sounds significantly better than chance using bilateral implants, while localization accuracy was close to chance using unilateral implants. Binaural normal-hearing performance was better than bilateral performance in implanted children across tests, while bilaterally implanted children showed better localization than normal-hearing children under acute monaural conditions.
