Spectro-temporal resolution abilities in children with cochlear implants: a systematic review

This systematic review examines spectro-temporal resolution ability in children with cochlear implants (cCI). The objective is to summarise the articles that assess the spectro-temporal resolution ability, its relationship with speech perception, and associated factors in cCI.

A systematic review.

A total of 193 articles were reviewed, and seven articles were selected for the systematic review that assessed spectro-temporal resolution ability in cCI. All seven studies used the Spectro-Temporal Modulated Ripple Test (SMRT) to assess spectro-temporal resolution ability.

The results consistently showed that cCI demonstrated lower SMRT thresholds than children with normal hearing. A significant correlation was found between SMRT thresholds and speech perception scores. Factors associated with spectro-temporal resolution included chronological age, age at implantation, duration of implantation, cognitive ability, and the effect of training.

SMRT can be used to assess young children, as it shows a significant correlation with speech perception scores. Even though the results of SMRT thresholds and their correlation with speech perception were consistent, variations in the results were present across studies, which may have been due to demographic and technological factors.