Cochlear implantation in prelingually deafened children with residual hearing.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to examine the speech perception skills of prelingually deafened French children with preoperative residual hearing who received multichannel cochlear implants.


METHODS
The design of the study incorporated a within-subject, repeated measures design for assessing speech perception skills.


METHODS
Montpellier, Toulouse and Lyon Pediatric Cochlear Implant Centers.


METHODS
Seven prelingually deafened children demonstrating marginal benefit from conventional amplification prior to implantation with a Nucleus multichannel cochlear implant, served as subjects for the speech perception assessment (a speech recognition score less than 30% defines marginal benefit from acoustic amplification on open set materials). The mean age at implantation was 7 years, 9 months.


METHODS
Speech perception skills were assessed using open set materials and the MUSS and MAIS questionnaires.


RESULTS
Open-set speech recognition averaged 21.4% before implantation, and 83.6% after 1 year's cochlear implant experience. All children demonstrated an open-set score over 60% after 12 months of CI use. MAIS test scores averaged 18.1/40 before implantation and 35.1/40 after 9 months of CI use. MUSS test scores averaged 24.4/40 before implantation and 34.1/40 after 9 months of CI use.


CONCLUSIONS
Cochlear implantation should be considered for prelingually hearing impaired children demonstrating marginal benefit from hearing aids, with a speech recognition score less than 30% on open set materials, in order to improve their speech discrimination skills.
Mondain
Michel
M
ENT Department, Hôpital Gui de Chauliac, CHU Montpellier, 34295 Cedex 5, France. michel.mondain@free.fr
Sillon
Martine
M
Vieu
Adrienne
A
Levi
Ann
A
Reuillard-Artieres
Françoise
F
Deguine
Olivier
O
Fraysse
Bernard
B
Cochard
Nadine
N
Truy
Eric
E
Uziel
Alain
A
D001299:Audiometry; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003054:Cochlear Implants; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005602:France; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000145:classification / Q000150:complications / Q000151:congenital / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006312:Hearing Loss, Bilateral / Q000150:complications / Q000151:congenital / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013063:Speech Discrimination Tests; D013067:Speech Perception; D016896:Treatment Outcome