Timing still matters: Auditory attention and verbal memory in children implanted before versus after age one

This study investigated the auditory attention and verbal memory patterns in school-age children with cochlear implants (CIs), comparing those who received implants within 12 months of life with those who received them later. The study also examined the impacts of audiological and demographic/personal factors on achieved skills.

Sixty-one participants aged 8-10 years were divided into two groups based on age at the time of implantation: the Infancy CI group (30 children implanted within 12 months of age) and the Toddlerhood CI group (31 children implanted between 13 and 24 months of age). All participants were assessed for sustained and selective auditory attention, as well as forward/backward digit span and verbal strategic memory. Attention and memory performance were compared between the two groups, and a hierarchical regression analysis was performed to identify significant predictors of performance.

Significant differences were found between the two groups in auditory attention and verbal memory. The Infancy CI group outperformed the Toddlerhood CI group in both areas. CI age explained 43 % and 28 % of the observed variance in the attention and memory outcomes, respectively. Receptive vocabulary was a significant predictor of both attention and memory. Nonverbal intelligence was found to predict memory skills.

This study emphasized the critical role of early intervention and oral language competence in developing auditory attention and verbal memory skills in CI children. Efforts to ensure timely intervention and empower language skills after cochlear implantation should guide clinicians' decisions and the implementation of habilitative programs.