Cochlear implantation in children with cerebral palsy. A preliminary report.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study is to assess the post-implantation speech perception and intelligibility of speech produced by five profoundly deaf children with cerebral palsy.


METHODS
This study is derived by a review of a prospectively maintained data collection on all patients entering the cochlear implant program. Five children with cerebral palsy who underwent cochlear implantation participated in this study. Functional outcome was assessed using the Speech Perception Categories and the Speech Intelligibility Rating scale. The follow-up of the series ranged from 12 to 45 months.


RESULTS
At the last follow-up, two children who were placed into speech perception category 1 (detection of a speech signal) preoperatively progressed to category 6 (open-set word recognition with familiar words) postoperatively. Two children moved from preoperative category 2 (pattern perception) to postoperative category 6. One child placed into category 0 (no detection of speech) preoperatively progressed to category 4 (word identification) postoperatively. Before implantation, three children had connected speech unintelligible, and two subjects had connected speech intelligible to a listener who concentrates and lip-reads. At the last follow-up, one child had connected speech unintelligible, two children had connected speech intelligible to a listener who concentrate and lip-reads, one child had connected speech intelligible to a listener who has little experience of a deaf person's speech, and one child had connected speech intelligible to all listeners.


CONCLUSIONS
Cochlear implantation allowed these patients to dramatically improve their quality of life, increasing their self-confidence, independence and social integration.
Bacciu
Andrea
A
Department of Otolaryngology, University of Parma, Parma, Italy. andreabacciu@yahoo.it
Pasanisi
Enrico
E
Vincenti
Vincenzo
V
Ormitti
Francesca
F
Di Lella
Filippo
F
Guida
Maurizio
M
Berghenti
Mariateresa
M
Bacciu
Salvatore
S
D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D019929:Cochlear Implantation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D011182:Postoperative Care; D011788:Quality of Life; D013064:Speech Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D013065:Speech Intelligibility; D013068:Speech Production Measurement