Utilization of the Spanish Bisyllable Word Recognition Test to Assess Cochlear Implant Performance Trajectory

Area of Science:

• Audiology
• Otolaryngology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Cochlear implantation (CI) is a vital treatment for sensorineural hearing loss.
• Understanding post-operative outcomes in diverse linguistic populations is crucial for equitable care.
• Limited data exists on cochlear implant performance trajectories in Spanish-speaking adults.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare pre- and post-operative word recognition scores (WRSs) in adult Spanish-speaking cochlear implant recipients.
• To describe the performance trajectory of Spanish-speaking adults after cochlear implantation.
• To establish evidence-based outcomes for pre-operative counseling.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective chart review of 115 Spanish-speaking adults undergoing cochlear implantation (2018-2023).
• Analysis of pre- and post-CI (3, 6, 12 months) Spanish Bisyllable WRSs and CI datalogging for 66 eligible subjects.
• Statistical analysis to identify predictors of WRS improvement.

Main Results:

• Spanish Bisyllable WRSs improved significantly at all post-CI intervals.
• A plateau in WRSs was observed by 6 months post-implantation.
• Time was a significant predictor of WRS improvement at 6 and 12 months; other factors like sex or device type were not significant predictors.

Conclusions:

• This study presents the largest cohort data on pre- and post-CI WRSs for Spanish-speaking adults.
• The post-CI performance trajectory for Spanish-speaking recipients mirrors that of English-speaking cohorts.
• Findings support evidence-based counseling for Spanish-speaking patients considering cochlear implants.