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Published on: March 24, 2023
Cochlear Implant Adult Speech Perception Outcomes: Seniors Have Similar Good Outcomes
Catherine S Birman, Rachelle T Hassarati1
1Nextsense Cochlear Implant Program (formally SCIC), Gladesville, Sydney, Australia.
Senior citizens receiving cochlear implants achieve speech perception outcomes comparable to younger adults. Preoperative severe hearing loss (HL) predicts better results than profound HL, regardless of age.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Otolaryngology
- Neurosurgery
Background:
- Cochlear implantation is a common treatment for severe to profound hearing loss.
- Assessing the impact of age and preoperative hearing severity on cochlear implant outcomes is crucial for patient counseling.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare speech perception outcomes in cochlear implant recipients aged 65 and older versus those younger than 65.
- To determine if preoperative hearing levels (severe vs. profound) influence outcomes in senior citizens.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of 785 adult cochlear implant recipients (2009-2016).
- Speech perception assessed using City University of New York (CUNY) sentences and Consonant-Nucleus-Consonant (CNC) words.
- Outcomes analyzed preoperatively and at 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively.
Main Results:
- No significant difference in CUNY or CNC scores between recipients younger than 65 and those 65 or older.
- Patients with severe preoperative hearing loss demonstrated significantly better CUNY and CNC scores than those with profound hearing loss.
- Severe hearing loss correlated with better outcomes irrespective of patient age.
Conclusions:
- Cochlear implantation offers comparable speech perception benefits for both senior citizens and younger adults.
- Preoperative severe hearing loss is a positive prognostic indicator for cochlear implant outcomes, surpassing profound hearing loss.
- These findings support the use of cochlear implants in older adults and provide valuable data for pre-operative counseling.
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