Long-term functional outcomes of hearing and speech rehabilitation efficacy among paediatric cochlear implant recipients in Shandong, China

• Published in: Disability and rehabilitation 2021-09, Vol.43 (20), p.2860-2865
• Main Authors: Jiang, Fan, Alimu, Dayimu, Qin, Wen-Zhe, Kupper, Hannah
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: auditory performance; Cochlear implant; outcomes; speech intelligibility
• ISSN: 0963-8288; 1464-5165
• DOI: 10.1080/09638288.2020.1720317

To evaluate the auditory performance and speech intelligibility of 100 children with bilateral profound sensorineural hearing loss up to 3 years after cochlear implantation. A cohort study was established consisting of 100 children who received cochlear implantation at Shandong Ear Nose and Throat Hospital from 2012 to 2015. Children were examined after 1 month, 1, 2, and 3 years of implantation to assess auditory performance and speech intelligibility using standard tools. The paired Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to assess whether the scores obtained at different testing points differed significantly. The Mann-Whitney test was utilized to examine the between-group differences (e.g., age at implantation). Three years after implantation, 60% out of 100 children reached the maximal category (7) of categorical auditory performance and 37% achieved the highest category (5) of speech intelligibility rating. Significant improvements were found over time in categorical auditory performance category and speech intelligibility rating (from month 1 to year 1, p