The benefits of sequential bilateral cochlear implantation for hearing-impaired children.
CONCLUSIONS
Sequential bilateral implantation offers listening advantages demonstrable on speech recognition in noise and for lateralization. Whilst the trend was for shorter inter-implant intervals and longer implant experience to positively impact binaural advantage, we observed no contraindications for binaural advantage.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the benefits of sequential bilateral cochlear implantation over unilateral implantation in a multicentre study evaluating speech recognition in noise and lateralization of sound.


METHODS
Twenty children, implanted bilaterally in sequential procedures, had the following characteristics: they were native German-speaking, were3 years or older and had a minimum of 1 year inter-implant interval and had between 2 months and 4 years 7 months binaural listening experience. Binaural advantage was assessed including speech recognition in noise using the Regensburg modification of the Oldenburger Kinder-Reimtest (OLKI) and lateralization of broadband stimuli from three speakers.


RESULTS
A significant binaural advantage of 37% was observed for speech recognition in noise. Binaural lateralization ability was statistically superior for the first and second implanted ear (p = 0.009, p = 0.001, respectively). Binaural experience was shown to correlate moderately with absolute binaural speech recognition scores, with binaural advantage for speech recognition and with binaural lateralization ability. The time interval between implants correlated in an inverse direction with binaural advantage for speech recognition.
Steffens
Thomas
T
HNO Klinik Universitätsklinikum Regensburg, Germany. thomas.steffens@klinik.uni-regensburg.de
Lesinski-Schiedat
Anke
A
Strutz
Jürgen
J
Aschendorff
Antje
A
Klenzner
Thomas
T
Rühl
Stephanie
S
Voss
Bettina
B
Wesarg
Thomas
T
Laszig
Roland
R
Lenarz
Thomas
T
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019929:Cochlear Implantation / Q000379:methods*; D003638:Deafness / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010470:Perceptual Masking / Q000502:physiology; D012086:Reoperation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013017:Sound Localization / Q000502:physiology*; D013069:Speech Reception Threshold Test