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[AUDITORY BRAINSTEM IMPLANTS (ABI) IN CHILDREN: CASE SERIES IN SHAARE ZEDEK MEDICAL CENTER]
Ronen Perez1, Jean-Yves Sichel1, Riki Salem2
1Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Shaare Zedek Medical Center and the Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.
Insights
Auditory brainstem implants (ABI) offer a chance for auditory awareness in children with severe hearing loss who cannot benefit from cochlear implants (CI). While outcomes vary, some children achieve significant auditory benefits with ABI.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Otolaryngology
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
Cochlear implants (CI) are the treatment of choice for individuals with severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss. A small group of patients, with pathology central to the cochlea, cannot benefit from CI. Examples in children include absence of the cochlear-nerve or cochlear aplasia. In these cases, implantation of an auditory brainstem implant (ABI), directly stimulating the cochlear nucleus, bypassing the inner-ear and auditory-nerve, may be beneficial.
Objectives:
Describe a series of children with ABI's treated in Shaare-Zedek, including the first ABI implantation in Israel (2017).
Methods:
Of 9 patients with ABI's treated in Shaare Zedek Medical Center ,7 were children implanted between ages 2-8.6 years. Five boys and two girls. Surgeries were conducted in collaboration between neurosurgeons, neurotologists and audiologists (five implanted in Shaare-Zedek and two in New-York University). Follow-up was between 2-6 years. Hearing evaluation was conducted, mainly, with audiograms, categories of auditory performance (CAP), speech perception testing when possible and estimation of device use per day.
Results:
Six of the seven children, who initially underwent unsuccessful CI, had deficient auditory-nerves. One child had cochlear-aplasia. In 3 children hearing loss was part of the CHARGE syndrome. CAP scores ranged from 0-7 (0,1,3,5,5,7). One child was able to achieve open-set speech perception.
Conclusions:
Although functional auditory outcomes for children with ABI are inferior to CI recipients and are highly variable, some children were able to obtain significant benefit. In these children, who are not candidates for CI, the ABI presents the only chance for auditory awareness and may be recommended.
Discussion:
John Thomas Roland is a consultant and recipient of research support from Cochlear Americas.