title: Language and speech perception of young children with bimodal fitting or bilateral cochlear implants.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This paper compares language development and speech perception of children with bimodal fitting (a cochlear implant in one ear and a hearing aid in the opposite ear) or bilateral cochlear implantation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were children enrolled in the Longitudinal Outcomes of Children with Hearing Impairment study. Language development was assessed at 3 years of age using standardized tests. Speech perception was evaluated at 5 years of age. Speech was presented from a frontal loudspeaker, and babble noise was presented either from the front or from both sides.
  
  
  RESULTS
  On average, there was no significant difference in language outcomes between 44 children with bimodal fitting and 49 children with bilateral cochlear implants; after controlling for a range of demographic variables. Earlier age at cochlear implant activation was associated with better outcomes. Speech perception in noise was not significantly different between children with bimodal fitting and those with bilateral cochlear implants. Compared to normal-hearing children, children with cochlear implants required a better signal-to-noise ratio to perform at the same level, but demonstrated spatial release from masking of a similar magnitude.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This population-based study found that language scores for children with bilateral implants were higher than those with bimodal fitting or those with unilateral implants, but neither reached significance level.
authors.forename: Teresa Y C
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Ching
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Day
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Van Buynder
authors.forename: Sanna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.forename: Vicky
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Seeto
authors.forename: Lauren
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Burns
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Flynn
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003054:Cochlear Implants; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006310:Hearing Aids; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007804:Language Development; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D017755:Prosthesis Fitting / Q000379:methods; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013067:Speech Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Bilateral implants; Bimodal fitting; Children; Language; Spatial release from masking