title: Auditory Learning in Children With Cochlear Implants.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to examine and characterize the training-induced changes in speech-in-noise perception in children with congenital deafness who have cochlear implants (CIs).
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-seven children with congenital deafness who have CIs were studied. Eleven children with CIs were trained on a speech-in-noise task, number recognition in white noise, at home for 5 weeks (total 40 hr). Speech recognition thresholds (SRTs) in the trained, partially trained (numbers in speech-shaped noise), and untrained (digit triplets in speech-shaped noise) conditions were measured before, immediately after, and 3 weeks after training completion. Data were also collected from children (n = 13) and adults (n = 5) with normal hearing for comparison.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Analyses indicated that following training, the performance of children with CIs improved for all speech-in-noise tasks (∆SRT was approximately 3 dB). Training-induced improvements in speech-in-noise performance were retained for 3 weeks following cessation of training. Untrained children with CIs showed no such improvements. The performance of children with CIs, even after intensive training, was significantly lower than children and adults with normal hearing.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Training enhances speech-in-noise performance for children with congenital deafness who have CIs. Learning effects were stable and generalized to similar but untrained conditions. Current findings are encouraging for the consideration of home-based auditory training to be included in the pediatric CI habilitation programs.
authors: Srikanta K
authors: SK
authors: Mishra
authors: Shiva P
authors: SP
authors: Boddupally
authors: Deeksha
authors: D
authors: Rayapati
mesh_terms: D001307:Auditory Perception; D001521:Behavior Therapy / Q000379:methods; D002648:Child; D019929:Cochlear Implantation; D003054:Cochlear Implants; D003638:Deafness / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D008297:Male; D046709:Pattern Recognition, Physiological; D011581:Psychological Tests; D016896:Treatment Outcome