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Updated: Oct 20, 2025
Systematic Hearing Performance Evaluation Process for Adolescents with Cochlear Implantation at Early Ages
Published on: March 24, 2023
[The development of auditory speech perception and spatial hearing abilities within one year after cochlear
1Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing Chao-yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100020, China.
Insights
Cochlear implantation significantly improves auditory speech perception and spatial hearing in preschool children within a year. Spatial hearing shows a faster growth rate than speech perception post-implantation.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Pediatric Otolaryngology
- Speech-Language Pathology
Background:
- Prelingual deafness in preschool children presents significant challenges to auditory development.
- Cochlear implantation is a critical intervention for restoring hearing in deaf children.
- Understanding the developmental trajectory of auditory speech perception and spatial hearing post-implantation is crucial for optimizing outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the development of auditory speech perception and spatial hearing abilities in preschool children within one year after cochlear implantation.
- To examine the relationship between speech perception and spatial hearing development post-cochlear implantation.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 31 preschool children (average age 2.3 years) with prelingual deafness.
- Assessment at pre-implant, 6 months, and 12 months using the Infant-toddler Meaningful Auditory Integration Scale (IT-MAIS), Meaningful Auditory Integration Scale (MAIS), Mandarin Early Speech Perception (MESP) test, and the Speech, Spatial, and Other Qualities of Hearing Scale for Parents (SSQ-P).
- Statistical analysis using SPSS 23.0 to compare outcomes and correlations.
Main Results:
- Significant improvements in auditory speech perception (IT-MAIS/MAIS, MESP) and spatial hearing (SSQ-P Spatial) were observed at 6 and 12 months post-implantation compared to pre-implantation (P<0.01).
- The growth rate of spatial hearing (SSQ-P Spatial) from pre-implant to 12 months was 675.3%, significantly higher than speech perception.
- A moderate positive correlation was found between speech perception and spatial hearing scores at 12 months post-implantation (r=0.465, P=0.008).
Conclusions:
- Cochlear implantation leads to comprehensive, continuous, and significant progress in listening, speech perception, and spatial hearing abilities in preschool children within one year.
- Spatial hearing demonstrates a notably faster development rate compared to speech perception, particularly in the period after 6 months post-implantation.
- The findings highlight the importance of considering both speech and spatial hearing development in the rehabilitation of children with cochlear implants.
Abstract:
Objective: To investigate the development of auditory speech perception and spatial hearing abilities within one year after cochlear implantation in preschool prelingual deaf children and the relationship between the two abilities. Methods: This retrospective study analyzed 31 preschool children with an average age of (2.3±1.2) years. All cases were assessed at pre-implant, 6 months and 12 months post-implant using the Infant-toddler Meaningful Auditory Integration Scale (IT-MAIS), the Meaningful Auditory Integration Scale (MAIS) and the Mandarin Early Speech Perception test (MESP) to evaluate their listening and speech perception abilities, and using the Speech,Spatial,and Other Qualities of Hearing Scale for Parents (SSQ-P) questionnaires to evaluate their speech perception and spatial hearing abilities. SPSS 23.0 was used for the statistical analysis. Results: All children performed better at 6 months and 12 months post-implant with IT-MAIS/MAIS, MESP than pre-implant, and the scoring rate continued to improve, with a significant difference (P<0.01). For the SSQ-P (Speech) and SSQ-P (Spatial) scores, the mean scores of pre-implant were (0.9±0.2) points and (0.8±0.3) points, those of 6 months post-implant were (4.6±0.2) and (2.6±0.3), and 12 months post-implant were (6.2±0.2) and (6.3±0.3), the scores of the two groups were significantly different at pre-implant, 6 months and 12 months post-implant (P<0.01). The growth rate of SSQ-P (Spatial) from pre-implant to 12 months post-implant was 675.3%, and the growth rate from 6 months post-implant to 12 months post-implant was 140.6%, the growth rate showed an significant increase compared with IT-MAIS/MAIS, MESP and SSQ-P (Speech).SSQ-P (Speech) and SSQ-P (Spatial) scores were moderate correlation at 12 months post-implant(r=0.465, P=0.008). Conclusions: Within one year after cochlear implantation, listening, speech perception and spatial hearing abilities of preschool prelingual deaf children could show a comprehensive, continuous and significant progress as the implantation time increasing. The growth rate of spatial hearing is greater than that of speech perception at 12 months post-implant, and the spatial hearing could still show rapid development characteristics after 6 months post-implant.
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