A Modified Pediatric Ranked Order Speech Perception Score to Assess Speech Recognition Development in Children With...

Area of Science:

• Audiology
• Speech-Language Pathology
• Pediatric Otolaryngology

Background:

• Assessing speech recognition development in children with cochlear implants (CIs) is complex due to diverse testing methods.
• This study addresses the need for a standardized approach to track progress and identify influencing factors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To longitudinally analyze speech perception in children with CIs using a modified scoring system.
• To investigate the impact of age at CI activation, listening mode (unilateral vs. bilateral), and interval between implants on speech recognition outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of speech recognition scores from 31 children with prelingual hearing loss who received CIs.
• Modification of the Pediatric Ranked Order Speech Perception (PROSPER) scoring system to create a unified score from various tests.
• Construction of speech recognition growth curves to characterize development.

Main Results:

• Speech recognition improved post-implantation but showed significant variability in growth rates and plateau scores.
• Later age at implantation was associated with poorer plateau scores in the first implanted ear.
• Children with bilateral CIs demonstrated better plateau scores compared to those with unilateral CIs.

Conclusions:

• The modified PROSPER score effectively tracks speech recognition development in children with CIs.
• This tool can help assess factors influencing outcomes and guide personalized intervention strategies.
• Findings highlight the benefits of bilateral implantation and optimal timing for improved speech perception.