Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 17, 2026
06:54
Author Spotlight: Advancements in Impedance Monitoring for Cochlear Implant Surgery
Published on: August 4, 2023
1.8K
Psychosocial Outcomes in Long-Term Cochlear Implant Users
Irina Castellanos1, William G Kronenberger1,2,3,4, David B Pisoni1,2,3,4
1Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio.
Ear and Hearing
|December 1, 2017
Summary
Cochlear implant (CI) users may face psychosocial challenges, particularly in attention and social skills, linked to language and executive function deficits. Early intervention focusing on these areas can improve adjustment for children with hearing loss.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Audiology
- Developmental Psychology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Cochlear implantation (CI) is a common intervention for prelingual deafness.
- Long-term outcomes require understanding psychosocial adjustment in early-implanted individuals.
- The interplay between neurocognitive skills and psychosocial development in CI users is not fully elucidated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate psychosocial outcomes in prelingually deaf, early-implanted children, adolescents, and young adults.
- To determine the predictive relationship between language and executive functioning and psychosocial outcomes in long-term CI users.
Main Methods:
- Utilized parent-completed Behavior Assessment System for Children and Conduct Hyperactive Attention Problem Oppositional Symptom checklists.
- Assessed neurocognitive skills using performance-based measures of language and executive functioning.
- Employed regression analyses to identify predictors of psychosocial outcomes.
Main Results:
- Cochlear implant (CI) users exhibited higher risks for attention deficits, oppositional behavior, hyperactivity-impulsivity, and social-adaptive skill deficits compared to normal-hearing peers.
- The majority of CI users scored within average ranges on the Behavior Assessment System for Children.
- Language, visual-spatial working memory, and inhibition-concentration skills significantly predicted psychosocial outcomes.
Conclusions:
- Underlying language and executive functioning delays/deficits may increase psychosocial adjustment risks for some CI users.
- Targeted interventions addressing language and executive functions are crucial for supporting psychosocial development in early-implanted children.
- Further research should explore specific mechanisms linking neurocognition to psychosocial well-being in this population.
