title: Motor development of deaf children with and without cochlear implants.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of a cochlear implant (CI) on the motor development of deaf children. The study involved 36 mainstreamed deaf children (15 boys, 21 girls; 4- to 12-years old) without any developmental problems. Of these children, 20 had been implanted. Forty-three hearing children constituted a comparison group. Motor development was assessed by three standardized tests: the Movement Assessment Battery for Children, the Körperkoordinationstest für Kinder, and the One-leg standing test. Results showed that the hearing children performed on average significantly better than the deaf children (whether or not using a CI). Regarding the use of a CI, there was only a significant difference on one subtest between both groups, although there was a nonsignificant trend for the deaf +CI group to score somewhat worse on average than the deaf -CI group. This led to some significant differences between the hearing group and the deaf +CI group on measures requiring balance that did not hold for the hearing/deaf -CI comparison. Although this study could demonstrate neither a positive nor a negative impact of CI on balance and motor skills, the data raise the need for further, preferably longitudinal, research.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Pleinlaan 2, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Freja
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gheysen
authors.forename: Gerrit
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Loots
authors.forename: Hilde
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Van Waelvelde
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019929:Cochlear Implantation / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D003638:Deafness / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006309:Hearing / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009048:Motor Skills / Q000502:physiology*; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014722:Vestibule, Labyrinth / Q000502:physiology