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Updated: Jul 6, 2025

Systematic Hearing Performance Evaluation Process for Adolescents with Cochlear Implantation at Early Ages
Published on: March 24, 2023
Auditory, Visual, and Cognitive Abilities in Normal-Hearing Adults, Hearing Aid Users, and Cochlear Implant Users
Dorien Ceuleers1, Hannah Keppler2,3, Sofie Degeest1,2,3
1Department of Head and Skin, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
This study reveals that while hearing aid and cochlear implant users show auditory and cognitive deficits, visual speechreading abilities remain comparable to normal-hearing individuals. An auditory, visual, cognitive (AVC) profile offers a comprehensive assessment for auditory rehabilitation.
Area of Science:
- Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Speech understanding is a complex bimodal process involving auditory and visual information, alongside cognitive functions.
- Traditional assessments often focus solely on auditory abilities, potentially overlooking crucial visual and cognitive contributions to speech perception.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate auditory (A), visual (V), and cognitive (C) abilities across normal-hearing individuals, hearing aid (HA) users, and cochlear implant (CI) users.
- To develop a comprehensive auditory, visual, cognitive (AVC)-profile for a holistic assessment of speech processing capabilities.
Main Methods:
- Compared three matched groups: normal-hearing (n=31), HA users (n=31), and CI users (n=31).
- Utilized pure-tone and speech audiometry, the Test for (Audio) Visual Speech perception, and a cognitive test battery (working memory, processing speed, attention, cognitive flexibility).
- Employed ANOVA/Kruskal-Wallis tests for group comparisons and principal component analysis for AVC-profile development.
Main Results:
- Normal-hearing individuals outperformed HA and CI users in auditory and cognitive abilities.
- No significant differences in visual speech understanding were observed, despite greater audiovisual gains in HA and CI users.
- An AVC-profile was successfully constructed, enabling a comprehensive score for auditory, visual, and cognitive functioning.
Conclusions:
- Evaluating individuals with hearing loss requires a broader perspective beyond auditory skills, incorporating visual and cognitive assessments.
- The developed AVC-profile can guide auditory rehabilitation by identifying individual strengths and weaknesses in speech understanding.
- This holistic approach enhances the understanding of real-life speech processing challenges for individuals with hearing impairments.
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