title: Cochlear implants for congenitally deaf adolescents: is open-set speech perception a realistic expectation?
abstract: The prognosis for benefit from use of cochlear implants in congenitally deaf adolescents, who have a long duration of profound deafness prior to implantation, has typically been low. Speech perception results for two congenitally deaf patients implanted as adolescents at the University of Melbourne/Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital Clinic show that, after 12 months of experience, both patients had significant open-set speech discrimination scores without lipreading. These results suggest that although benefits may in general be low for congenitally deaf adolescents, individuals may attain significant benefits to speech perception after a short period of experience. Prospective patients from this group should therefore be considered on an individual basis with regard to prognosis for benefit from cochlear implantation.
authors: Australian Bionic Ear and Hearing Research Institute, East Melbourne, Victoria.
authors: J Z
authors: JZ
authors: Sarant
authors: R S
authors: RS
authors: Cowan
authors: P J
authors: PJ
authors: Blamey
authors: K L
authors: KL
authors: Galvin
authors: G M
authors: GM
authors: Clark
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D003054:Cochlear Implants; D003638:Deafness / Q000151:congenital* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011379:Prognosis; D013067:Speech Perception