Cochlear implant wear time and speech perception outcomes in adults: recommendation for minimum daily wear time

Variability in cochlear implant (CI) performance has traditionally been linked to pre-operative factors. This study examined the impact of daily CI wear time on post-operative performance in adult recipients.

A retrospective analysis was conducted on 158 adult CI users comparing pre- and post-operative factors contributing to performance after one year of use. Participants were divided into post hoc groups for analysis: those wearing their CI less than 10 hours per day (n = 46) and those wearing it 10 or more hours per day (n = 112).

Daily CI wear time was correlated with speech perception scores (CNC Words, r = 0.44, AzBio, r = 0.37). Regression analyses found that average wear time and age significantly predicted AzBio scores (R² = 0.21) while wear time and duration of hearing loss predicted CNC Scores (R² = 0.28).

Average daily CI wear time, age at implantation and duration of hearing loss are reliable predictors of speech perception scores. Individuals wearing their CI for at least 10 hours per day scored significantly higher than those wearing it less than 10 hours per day. Data suggest earliest possible implantation and CI use of at least 10 hours per day is beneficial.