Pediatric cochlear implant patient performance as a function of age at implantation

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the effect that age at implantation has on performance of children who received multichannel cochlear implants. Study Design: This is a retrospective study of 295 children who were broken down into 5 age groups based on age at implantation: 1-3 years, 3-5 years, 5-7 years, 7-9 years, and 9-11 years. Speech perception test scores obtained 12, 24, and 36 months postactivation were compared for the 5 groups using repeated-measures analysis of variance. Setting: This study was carried out at a tertiary academic medical center. Patients: Subjects consisted of 295 children who ranged in age from 12 months to 10 years 11 months at the time they obtained their cochlear implant. Intervention: All patients received their cochlear implant at a single implant facility. Main Outcome Measures: Performance on several speech perception tests was compared 12, 24, and 36 months postactivation. Performance was evaluated as a function of age at implantation. Results: Patients in all 5 groups demonstrated improved scores when compared with scores obtained preoperatively with hearing aids. Repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed a significant group by time interaction for 3 of the 5 measures. For all three of these measures, children implanted at younger ages demonstrated greater gains in speech perception over time than children implanted at older ages. Conclusions: These results are in agreement with those of previous studies indicating that early implantation facilitates improved development of speech perception skills in profoundly deaf children.