Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 15, 2025
Systematic Hearing Performance Evaluation Process for Adolescents with Cochlear Implantation at Early Ages
Published on: March 24, 2023
Long-term cognition and speech recognition outcomes after cochlear implantation in the elderly
Allen Young1, Linnea Fechtner2, Christine Kim3
1Silverstein Institute-First Physicians Group of Sarasota, 1901 Floyd Street, Sarasota, FL 34239, USA.
Objective:
The purpose of this study is to investigate how cognition, as measured using the Self-Administered Gerocognitive Examination Test (SAGE), and age affect speech recognition scores in older adults (age > 65) at one year and two years after cochlear implantation.
Study Design:
This is a prospective study.
Setting:
This study was conducted at a single institution.
Methods:
Unilateral cochlear implantation was performed by two surgeons on adult patients (>65 years) with postlingual bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. There were 230 patients who underwent cochlear implantation from January 2016 to June 2023. Fifty-five of these patients completed the SAGE questionnaire before implantation, one year after implantation, and 2 years after implantation. Paired t-test analysis was used to evaluate pre- and post-operative speech recognition scores (CNC, AzBio in Quiet).
Results:
Patients who had normal preoperative cognition on SAGE showed greater improvement in postoperative speech recognition tests at 1 year and 2 years after implantation compared with patients who showed preoperative cognitive impairment. There were no significant differences in postoperative speech outcome between age group 1 (between 65 and 80 years old) and age group 2 (over 80 years old) cochlear implant recipients. There were no changes in cognitive SAGE scores after 2 years implantation.
Conclusion:
Cognitive function, as measured by SAGE, is a more reliable predictor than age in determining speech recognition improvement after cochlear implantation. Cochlear implantation did not improve postoperative cognition.
