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Updated: Sep 20, 2025
Systematic Hearing Performance Evaluation Process for Adolescents with Cochlear Implantation at Early Ages
Published on: March 24, 2023
Longitudinal auditory data of children with prelingual single-sided deafness managed with early cochlear implantation
Tine Arras1,2, An Boudewyns3,4, Freya Swinnen5
1Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Oto-rhino-laryngology, KU Leuven, O&N2, Herestraat 49, box 721, 3000, Leuven, Belgium. tine.arras@kuleuven.be.
Insights
Early cochlear implantation in children with prelingual single-sided deafness (SSD) improved spatial hearing. This study compared implanted children to non-implanted SSD peers and normal-hearing children, showing benefits for the implanted group.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Neuroscience
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Single-sided deafness (SSD) impairs sound localization and speech understanding in noise.
- Children with prelingual SSD face risks for neurocognitive and academic challenges.
- Restoring bilateral hearing via early cochlear implantation (CI) may enhance outcomes, but long-term effects are unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of early cochlear implantation on spatial hearing skills in young children with prelingual SSD.
- To compare the auditory development of implanted children with non-implanted SSD children and normally hearing peers.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of young children with prelingual SSD received early cochlear implantation.
- Spatial hearing was assessed using speech perception in noise and sound localization tests from age four.
- Results were compared to control groups: children with SSD (no CI) and children with bilateral normal hearing.
Main Results:
- The cochlear implant group demonstrated significantly improved speech perception in noise.
- The implanted children also showed enhanced sound localization abilities compared to non-implanted peers.
- Children wore their devices for an average of nine hours daily.
Conclusions:
- Early cochlear implantation shows promise for improving spatial hearing in children with prelingual SSD.
- Further longitudinal studies are necessary to fully understand the long-term benefits of CI for this population.
- Maturation plays a significant role in spatial hearing development, highlighting the need for extended follow-up.
Abstract:
Individuals with single-sided deafness (SSD) have no access to binaural hearing, which limits their ability to localize sounds and understand speech in noisy environments. In addition, children with prelingual SSD are at risk for neurocognitive and academic difficulties. Early cochlear implantation may lead to improved hearing outcomes by restoring bilateral hearing. However, its longitudinal impact on the development of children with SSD remains unclear. In the current study, a group of young children with prelingual SSD received a cochlear implant at an early age. From the age of four, the children's spatial hearing skills could be assessed using a spatial speech perception in noise test and a sound localization test. The results are compared to those of two control groups: children with SSD without a cochlear implant and children with bilateral normal hearing. Overall, the implanted group exhibited improved speech perception in noise abilities and better sound localization skills, compared to their non-implanted peers. On average, the children wore their device approximately nine hours a day. Given the large contribution of maturation to the development of spatial hearing skills, further follow-up is important to understand the long-term benefit of a cochlear implant for children with prelingual SSD.
