Development of auditory and language skills in children using cochlear implants with two signal processing strategies

Abstract Introduction: The increase in the spectral information offered by the sound processing strategy HiRes 120 has led to great expectations for the pediatric population. Due to a shorter duration of auditory deprivation and higher neural plasticity, children could benefit more substantially from the spectral information of this sound processing strategy. Objective: To compare auditory and language skills in Brazilian children with cochlear implants using the HiRes and HiRes 120 sound processing strategies. Methods: Thirty children, aged 1–3 years, with congenital hearing loss, were divided into two groups, according to the signal processing strategy adjusted at the time of the cochlear implant activation. The assessed children were matched according to chronological age and the time of the cochlear implant use. The auditory and language skills were evaluated longitudinally through the Infant-Toddler Meaningful Auditory Integration Scale and Production Infant Scale Evaluation, carried out before surgery, and 3, 6 and 12 months after device implantation. The Mann–Whitney test was applied for the comparison between the two groups with a 5% significance level. Results: The findings indicated development of hearing and language skills in the first year of cochlear implant use; however, there was no statistically significant difference in the evolution of such skills due to the adjusted processing strategy in the activation of the cochlear implant electrodes. Conclusion: The development of auditory and language skills in the assessed children was similar during the entire study period, regardless of which signal processing strategy was used.

摘要与引言：声音处理策略HiRes 120（HiRes 120）所提供的频谱信息增量，为儿科人群带来了极高的期待。由于儿童群体听觉剥夺时长更短、神经可塑性更强，其可从该声音处理策略的频谱信息中获得更为显著的获益。
研究目的：对比使用HiRes（HiRes）与HiRes 120（HiRes 120）两种声音处理策略的巴西人工耳蜗（cochlear implants）植入儿童的听觉与语言能力。
研究方法：本研究纳入30名年龄介于1~3岁的先天性听力损失儿童，根据人工耳蜗开机时所调整的信号处理策略分为两组。受试儿童按实足年龄与人工耳蜗使用时长进行匹配。分别于术前、植入设备后3、6及12个月，通过《婴幼儿有意义听觉整合量表（Infant-Toddler Meaningful Auditory Integration Scale）》与《幼儿语言产出评估量表（Production Infant Scale Evaluation）》对其听觉与语言能力进行纵向评估。采用曼-惠特尼U检验（Mann–Whitney test）进行两组间比较，检验水准设定为5%。
研究结果：研究结果显示，在人工耳蜗植入使用的首年内，受试儿童的听觉与语言能力均得到发展；不过，因人工耳蜗电极开机时所采用的信号处理策略不同，上述能力的发展进程未出现统计学意义上的显著差异。
研究结论：无论采用何种信号处理策略，本研究评估的儿童在整个研究周期内，其听觉与语言能力的发展水平均无显著差异。