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Updated: Aug 11, 2025
Electrically Evoked Stapedius Reflex Measurements in Cochlear Implantation and Its Application in the Postoperative Fitting Process
Published on: June 21, 2024
A longitudinal study of cortical auditory maturation and implications of the short inter-implant delay in children
Atılım Atılgan1, Sıdıka Cesur1, Ayça Çiprut2
1Marmara University, School of Medicine, Audiology Department, İstanbul, Turkey; İstanbul Medeniyet University, Faculty of Health Sciences, Audiology Department, İstanbul, Turkey.
Insights
Children receiving sequential bilateral cochlear implants showed normal auditory maturation. The second cochlear implant (CI) reached normative P1 latency within 3 months, but full compensation took 12 months.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Audiology
- Developmental Pediatrics
Background:
- Bilateral sequential cochlear implantation (CI) is crucial for auditory development in children.
- Understanding the maturation of auditory cortical responses after sequential CIs is vital for optimizing outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the maturational development of P1 latency in children with sequential bilateral CIs.
- To assess the impact of inter-implant delay on auditory development.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study of 14 children receiving sequential bilateral CIs during the sensitive auditory period.
- Speech-evoked cortical P1 responses recorded at 4 intervals post-second CI activation (0, 3, 6, 12 months).
- Recordings conducted under three listening conditions: first CI, second CI, and binaural.
Main Results:
- P1 latencies for the second CI normalized within 3 months.
- P1 latencies for the second CI reached those of the first CI by 12 months.
- A negative correlation was found between inter-implant delay and second CI P1 latency.
Conclusions:
- Sequential bilateral CIs promote normal auditory maturation in children during the sensitive period.
- Early auditory experience in the first ear influences the speed of auditory compensation with sequential CIs.
Objective:
This longitudinal study aimed to investigate the maturational development of P1 latency and the effects of a short inter-implant delay in children who received bilateral sequential cochlear implants.
Materials And Methods:
Fourteen children (first CI mean age: 1.4 ± 0.4 years and Second CI mean age: 3.3 ± 0.5 years) who had received sequential bilateral cochlear implants during the sensitive period for auditory maturation participated in our study. The speech-evoked cortical P1 response was recorded after the activation of the second CI at four intervals (implant activation, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months) under three listening conditions (first CI, second CI, binaural).
Results:
Our results showed that the P1 latencies of the second CI reached normative values within 3 months, but did not reach the P1 latency of the first CI until 12 months. We found a strong negative correlation between the inter-implant delay and the P1 latencies of the second CI when the second CI was activated.
Conclusion:
Changes in cortical auditory responses over time resulted in normal auditory maturation in children with sequential bilateral cochlear implants during the sensitive period. The results also provide evidence that the timing of auditory experience in the first ear during the sensitive period may influence the speed of compensation in children receiving sequential cochlear implants.
