Publication:

Factors affecting audiological performance and speech intelligibility in prelingually deaf children after cochlear implantation: a study

Background The primary aim is to understand the factors affecting the audiological, speech and language outcome in prelingually deaf children, with bilateral severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss, who have undergone cochlear implantation.

Methods 40 prelingually deaf children, with bilateral severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss, who have undergone cochlear implantation were enrolled. Auditory performance and speech intelligibility was gauged by revised categories of auditory performance (CAP) score and speech intelligibility rating (SIR) respectively, preoperatively and at 3 months, 6 months and 1 year post cochlear implantation. These values were analysed using statistical package for social sciences with respect to duration of auditory deprivation, duration of use of hearing aid prior to cochlear implantation, duration of auditory verbal therapy prior to cochlear implantation and age of child at cochlear implantation.

Results There is a negative relation between CAP and duration of auditory deprivation at 6 months and 1 year post cochlear implantation. Also, negative relation is seen between CAP and age of child at cochlear implantation at 6 months and 1 year post cochlear implantation. There is a negative relation between SIR and duration of auditory deprivation at 6 months and 1 year post cochlear implantation. Also, negative relation is seen between SIR score and age of child at cochlear implantation at 3 months, 6 months and 1 year post cochlear implantation.

Conclusions Lesser the auditory deprivation and younger the child at cochlear implantation, better is the audiological performance and speech intelligibility post cochlear implantation.