Receptive language as a predictor of cochlear implant outcome for prelingually deaf adults |
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Authors: | Alexandra Rousset Richard Dowell Jaime Leigh |
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Institution: | 1. Cochlear Implant Clinic, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, Melbourne, Australia,;2. The University of Melbourne, Australia, and;3. The Cooperative Research Centre for Cochlear Implant and Hearing Aid Innovation, Melbourne, Australia amwe@unimelb.edu.au;5. The Cooperative Research Centre for Cochlear Implant and Hearing Aid Innovation, Melbourne, Australia |
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Abstract: | AbstractObjective: This study investigated outcomes and predictive factors, specifically language skills, for a group of prelingually hearing-impaired adults who received a cochlear implant. Design: Speech perception data, demographic information, and other related variables such as communication mode, residual hearing, and receptive language abilities were explored. Pre- and post-implant speech perception scores were compared and multiple regression analysis was used to identify significant predictive relationships. Study sample: The study included 43 adults with a prelingual onset of hearing loss, who proceeded with cochlear implantation at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital in Melbourne, Australia. Results: The majority of patients experienced benefit from their cochlear implants, with 88% demonstrating significant improvement in speech perception performance. Volunteers achieved better post-operative speech perception scores if they had a shorter duration of severe-to-profound hearing loss, better language skills, and used an exclusively oral communication mode. Conclusions: Although post-operative speech perception performance is significantly poorer for prelingually hearing-impaired adults compared to postlingually hearing-impaired patients, the study group demonstrated significant benefit from their cochlear implants. The variability in post-operative outcomes can be predicted to some extent from the hearing history and language abilities of the individual patient. |
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Keywords: | Cochlear implants receptive language outcomes prelingual hearing loss |
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