Cochlear implantation: Listening environments among pediatric recipients

Area of Science:

• Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology
• Pediatric Otolaryngology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Pediatric cochlear implant (CI) use is critical for auditory development in deaf children.
• Understanding auditory environments and device usage patterns is essential for optimizing CI outcomes.
• Saudi Arabia presents unique audiological challenges and settings for pediatric CI users.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the auditory environments and challenges faced by pediatric cochlear implant (CI) users in Saudi Arabia.
• To compare auditory settings and device usage between preschool and school-age children with CIs.
• To identify factors influencing CI usage and auditory exposure in young Saudi Arabian users.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of prelingually deafened children (<18 years) using MED-EL SONNET2/RONDO3 cochlear implants (CIs).
• Categorization of children based on Saudi Arabian primary school enrollment age.
• Analysis of datalogging metrics (2020-2022) on device usage and auditory scene exposure using R software, including descriptive statistics and regression models.

Main Results:

• 178 ears analyzed; median age 5.8 years, median implantation age 2.0 years.
• Median daily CI use was 10.1 hours (preschoolers: 7.9 hrs, school-age: 11.6 hrs).
• Primary auditory exposures were 'speech-in-noise' (49%) and 'noise' (37%); age and implantation age correlated significantly with datalogging metrics.

Conclusions:

• Pediatric CI users in Saudi Arabia exhibit increased daily CI use with age, predominantly in noisy environments.
• Acoustically optimized settings are crucial for improving speech perception in pediatric CI users.
• Chronological age significantly influences CI usage and auditory exposure, guiding tailored intervention strategies for better outcomes.