Pediatric Cochlear Implant Outcomes in Auditory Neuropathy/auditory Dys-synchrony
Author | : |
Publisher | : |
Total Pages | : |
Release | : 2004 |
ISBN-10 | : OCLC:56091762 |
ISBN-13 | : |
Rating | : 4/5 (62 Downloads) |
Book excerpt: Objective: To describe the clinical outcomes in children diagnosed with Auditory Neuropathy/Auditory Dys-synchrony (AN/AD) who have received cochlear implants. Study Design: A prospective study of children diagnosed with AN/AD who have received a cochlear implant. Setting: Tertiary care pediatric referral center. Patients: Seven children with AN/AD identified from a pediatric otology/audiology clinic, whose treatment choice included cochlear implantation. A control group included seven children who received cochlear implant, but whose etiology of hearing loss varied. Outcome Measures: Seven of the children were seen for follow-up testing. Testing included, when age-appropriate: soundfield NBN and speech awareness testing, LNT and/or MLNT, HINT sentences, IT-MAIS and/or MAIS, and otoacoustic emissions. In addition, parents completed a Perceived Benefits Questionnaire, which was developed at our facility. Results: All children showed improvement with the use of a cochlear implant. Performance varied and was likely affected by additional handicapping conditions, age at implantation, duration of implant use, educational setting and/or communication mode as well as compliance with device usage and rehabilitation. Results of the Perceived Benefits Questionnaire were comparable to results from children without AN/AD who have cochlear implants. Conclusion: Children with AN/AD receive measurable benefit from the use of a cochlear implant. Their progress is similar to that of other children with cochlear implants without AN/AD. The degree of clinical outcome variability seen in the general pediatric cochlear implant population is also evident in the subgroup of children with AN/AD. Parents may perceive benefits for their child using a cochlear implant even though objective testing may not reflect these benefits. Additional medical and/or educational disabilities may impact the results obtained on standard tests in children with AN/AD. Development of the Perceived Benefits Questionnaire may be helpful in measuring cochlear implant benefit in children who are not able to participate in standard testing.