Open-set speech perception in congenitally deaf children using cochlear implants.
OBJECTIVE
To assess and document the development of open-set speech recognition in congenitally deaf children implanted with the Nucleus multichannel cochlear prosthesis at < 5 years of age.


METHODS
The study group consisted of 38 consecutively chosen children in whom the decision to proceed with implantation had already been made.


METHODS
Congenitally profoundly deaf children were implanted with the Nucleus multichannel cochlear implant at < 5 years of age and followed at NYU Medical Center for a period of 1-5 years.


METHODS
Open-set speech perception was evaluated preoperatively and postoperatively using the following: the Glendonald Auditory Screening Procedure (GASP) word subset, the GASP sentence subtest, Phonetically Balanced Kindergarten monosyllabic word lists, Common Phrases test, Multisyllabic Lexical Neighborhood test, and Lexical Neighborhood test.


RESULTS
Correlation coefficients were calculated between scores at each interval and age at implantation; one-way analyses of variance were performed independently. Results showed that all subjects had significant open-set speech recognition at the time of the last postoperative evaluation. Thirty-seven of the children use oral language as their sole means of communication.


CONCLUSIONS
Multichannel cochlear implants provide significant and usable open-set speech perception in congenitally deaf children given implants at < 5 years of age.
Waltzman
S B
SB
Department of Otolaryngology, New York University School of Medicine, NY 10016, USA.
Cohen
N L
NL
Gomolin
R H
RH
Green
J E
JE
Shapiro
W H
WH
Hoffman
R A
RA
Roland
J T
JT
D001309:Auditory Threshold; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003054:Cochlear Implants; D003638:Deafness / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D013067:Speech Perception