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Updated: May 18, 2026
Systematic Hearing Performance Evaluation Process for Adolescents with Cochlear Implantation at Early Ages
Published on: March 24, 2023
[Effect of age at cochlear implantation on auditory performance at the early stage after surgery in infants]
Jiajia Cheng1, Xueqing Chen, Bo Liu
1Medical Engineering Section, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China.
Insights
Cochlear implantation significantly improves auditory performance in infants with profound hearing loss within the first year. Early implantation age (18-36 months) showed no critical influence on early auditory development, supporting the Categories of Auditory Performance (CAP) tool.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric audiology
- Otolaryngology
- Neuroscience
Context:
- Infants with prelingual profound hearing loss face significant auditory development challenges.
- Cochlear implantation is a key intervention for restoring hearing in this population.
- Early auditory development is crucial for speech and language acquisition.
Purpose:
- To evaluate early auditory performance in infants post-cochlear implantation.
- To track auditory ability development within the first year after surgery.
- To investigate the impact of implantation age on auditory outcomes.
- To inform pediatric habilitation programs.
Summary:
- 272 infants (18-36 months at implantation) were assessed using the Categories of Auditory Performance (CAP) scale.
- Auditory performance significantly improved across all infants within the first year post-implantation.
- No significant differences in CAP scores were found between implantation age groups (under 18, 18-24, 25-36 months) at 6, 9, or 12 months post-activation.
Impact:
- Demonstrates significant auditory gains in infants following cochlear implantation.
- Suggests that implantation between 18-36 months does not critically affect early auditory development.
- Highlights the Categories of Auditory Performance (CAP) as a practical clinical tool in China.
Objective:
To evaluate the auditory performance of infants with cochlear implants at the early stage after surgery, summarize the development of auditory ability, investigate the effect of age at cochlear implantation on auditory performance within the first year after surgery and provide a reference for their habilitation program.
Method:
A total of 272 infants with prelingually profound hearing loss participated in this study, ranging in age at cochlear implantation from 18 to 36 months. The mean age was 21 months with a standard deviation of 7 months. Infants with cochlear implants were divided into three groups according to their age at implantation. Infants in group A were implanted under 18 months of age. Infants in group B were implanted between 18 and 24 months of age. Infants in group C were implanted between 25 and 36 months of age. Categories of auditory performance (CAP) was used to evaluate the auditory performance, which rates auditory abilities in eight categories for a scale of 0 to 7.
Result:
The mean scores of CAP for all infants at each interval were significantly different after implantation. Significant differences were observed in mean scores of CAP among these three groups in 1 and 3 months after switch-on. However there were no significant differences in pre-operation, 6, 9 and 12 months after switch-on.
Conclusion:
There is a significant improvement in auditory performance of infants with prelingually profound hearing loss within the first year after cochlear implantation. The age at cochlear implantation has no critical influence on the development of auditory capabilities at the early stage after surgery. CAP is a practical tool which can be used in clinic in China.