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Electrode Contacts in the Functional Hearing Region for Pediatric Cochlear Implant Recipients
Elena Quinonez Del Cid1,2, Margaret T Dillon2, Lisa R Park2
1School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.
The Laryngoscope
|April 28, 2026
Summary
Most pediatric cochlear implant recipients with hearing preservation achieve electrode contact in functional hearing regions. Electrode proximity did not significantly impact speech recognition scores in electric-acoustic stimulation users.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Otoacoustic Emissions
- Hearing Science
Background:
- Pediatric cochlear implantation (CI) aims to restore hearing by stimulating the auditory nerve.
- Preserving residual low-frequency hearing is crucial for electric-acoustic stimulation (EAS) in pediatric CI.
- Optimizing electrode placement is key to maximizing functional hearing and speech perception.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the incidence of electrode contacts within the functional acoustic hearing region in pediatric CI recipients.
- To investigate the influence of electrode positioning on speech recognition outcomes in these patients.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of pediatric CI recipients with straight electrode arrays and preserved low-frequency hearing.
- Analysis of intraoperative X-rays to determine electrode angular insertion depth (AID).
- Calculation of electrode contact proximity to the functional acoustic hearing region and correlation with speech recognition scores (CNC word recognition) in EAS users.
Main Results:
- 90% of pediatric CI recipients had at least one electrode contact within the functional acoustic hearing region.
- Electrode proximity values varied widely, with a mean of 100°.
- No significant association was found between electrode proximity and CNC word recognition scores in EAS users at 3, 6, or 12 months post-activation.
Conclusions:
- The majority of pediatric CI recipients with hearing preservation achieve optimal electrode placement within the functional acoustic hearing zone.
- Electrode proximity alone did not significantly predict speech recognition in quiet for the studied EAS subgroup.
- Further research with larger sample sizes is needed to explore the relationship between electrode positioning, speech recognition in noise, and individualized EAS mapping strategies in pediatric CI users.
