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Performing Intracochlear Electrocochleography During Cochlear Implantation
Published on: March 8, 2022
The Impact of Cochlear Implantation in Pediatric Patients on Quality of Life: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Corinne A Pittman1, Nicole A Derdzakyan2, Jeremiah Olabosipo3
1Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, Washington DC.
Insights
Pediatric cochlear implant (CI) users report lower hearing-related quality of life (HR-QoL) than normal hearing peers, particularly in physical and psychosocial domains. Parent and child reports on HR-QoL often disagree, highlighting the need for standardized measures.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Pediatric Health
- Quality of Life Research
Background:
- Assessing hearing-related quality of life (HR-QoL) in pediatric cochlear implant (CI) users is crucial for understanding their developmental trajectory.
- Existing HR-QoL instruments require evaluation for their suitability across different childhood developmental stages.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review and evaluate hearing-related quality of life (HR-QoL) instruments used for pediatric cochlear implant (CI) recipients.
- To identify which quality of life domains are most relevant to children at various developmental stages.
Main Methods:
- A systematic review was conducted using PubMed, OVID Medline, and Embase databases.
- Inclusion criteria focused on pediatric CI users, QoL outcomes, English language, and available numerical survey data.
- Study adherence to Meta-analysis Of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (MOOSE) guidelines was maintained.
Main Results:
- Twenty studies met inclusion criteria from 1597 screened, involving 1369 pediatric CI patients.
- The KINDL questionnaire was frequently used. Children and adolescents with CI reported similar HR-QoL scores, lower than normal hearing peers and their parents.
- Physical and psychosocial well-being domains showed the highest scores among CI users.
Conclusions:
- Children and adolescents with CI experience comparable physical and psychosocial functioning, yet report lower overall QoL than their normal hearing peers.
- Discrepancies between pediatric and parental QoL reports suggest parents may not be fully reliable reporters of their child's QoL.
- Findings support the development of standardized HR-QoL measures for pediatric CI users.
Objective:
To evaluate the hearing-related quality of life (HR-QoL) instruments utilized to assess pediatric cochlear implant (CI) users and determine which quality of life domains are most relatable to each stage of childhood development.
Databases Reviewed:
PubMed, OVID Medline, Embase.
Methods:
Our systematic review included a search of the PubMed, OVID Medline, and Embase databases using relevant MeSH terminology. Inclusion criteria captured the following: 1) pediatric CI users, 2) QoL measurement outcomes, 3) written in the English language, and 4) numerical data of survey scores readily available. Our study was adherent to the Meta-analysis Of Observational Studies in Epidemiology reporting guidelines.
Results:
Among 1597 studies screened, 20 met the inclusion criteria. Among 1369 pediatric CI patients surveyed, nearly one-third of the studies administered a pediatric and parental version of the generic KINDL QoL questionnaire. Both children and adolescents with CI scored similarly in the generic HR-QoL and in the specialized Peds QoL questionnaire (CI) (scores displayed in mean ± SD; children: 67.11± 12.6; adolescents: 69.40± 12.42). CI users in both age groups scored lower than their age-matched normal hearing peers (NHP) (79.11 ± 11.63) and to their parents (78.19 ± 10.18) on both the generic and CI-specific QoL questionnaires. The highest scores across studies among CI users were observed under the physical and psychosocial well-being domains.
Conclusions And Relevance:
Children and adolescents with CI experience similar physical and psychosocial functioning QoL aspects, though lower than their NHP. Disagreement was observed between most pediatric and parental QoL reports among children and adolescents at QoL assessment, suggesting parents may not be reliable reporters on their child's overall QoL. These data provide a basis for future discussions aimed at designing standardized HR-QoL measures for pediatric CI users.
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