EVALUATION OF SPEECH COMPREHENSION USING A TEST OF SIMPLE QUESTION UNDERSTANDING IN COCHLEAR IMPLANT RECIPIENTS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53582/1szjwv08Keywords:
cochlear implant, rehabilitation treatment, speech developmentAbstract
Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate speech performance in individuals of different ages with prelingual hearing impairment who use a cochlear implant and to assess the influence of age on the communicative benefit derived from cochlear implantation (CI).
Materials and methods: A retrospective-prospective study was conducted including 31 individuals with prelingual hearing impairment who underwent CI. The age of participants ranged from 6 to 29 years, with a mean age of 13±6.2 years. Individuals were divided into three age groups and were followed for at least 6, 12 and 24 months. The Glendonald Auditory Screening Procedure (GASP), which assesses the ability to understand simple questions, was used.
Results: The performance on the simple question comprehension test was monitored at follow-up intervals of 6, 12 and 24 months. The most favorable outcomes were observed 24 months after cochlear implantation (CI). At 6 months after the intervention, 50% of participants in the youngest age group were unable to comprehend the meaning of any of the simple questions. After 24 months of intervention, CI users were able to understand up to 8 of the 10 administered questions; this maximum performance was attained by 25% of participants in the youngest age group, and by none of the participants in the oldest age group.
Conclusions: The potential for the development of verbal communication skills and speech comprehension is substantially greater when CI is performed at a younger age.
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