Auditory Performance of Cochlear Implant Children Aged 2-5 Years
Cheamchit Thawin MA*, Chanida Kanchanalarp MD, FICS*, Krisna Lertsukprasert MA*, Wichit Cheewaruangroj MD*, Kanjalak Khantapasuantara MA*, Suwimol Ruencharoen MA*
Affiliation : * Department of Otolaryngology,Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University
Objective : To assess the categories of auditory performance in prelingual deaf children after implantation.
Study
Design : Prospective study
Materials and Methods : The present study consisted of one boy and four girls aged between 2 and 5 years old
at the time of implantation. All subjects had bilateral profound sensorineural hearing loss and received no
substantial benefit from amplification. Three subjects were implanted with Med-El combi 40+ with CIS strat-
egy and two subjects received multichanal monopolar Nucleus 24 cochlear implant with ACE strategy. After
implantation, all subjects undertook a program of habilitation at the Speech and Hearing Clinic Ramathibodi
Hospital. The Categories of Auditory Performance (CAP) score was determined at regular intervals prior to
implantation, immediately at the initial mapping (0) and 3, 6,12 and 18 months after the implantation.
Results : The results showed that before implantation, only three children showed awareness of environment
sounds, CAP score level 1, and that immediately after mapping, all of the children demonstrated awareness of
the environmental sounds. Moreover, two of these children showed awareness of speech sounds, CAP score
level 2. The CAP scores were gradually increased over a 12-month period. At the 12-month assessment
interval, four children could discriminate two speech sounds, CAP score level 4 and one child understood
phrases without lip reading, CAP score level 5. 18 months after of implantation, the CAP score for four
children increased to level 5. One child understood conversation without lip reading with a familiar talker,
CAP score level 6. Furthermore, children with congenital hearing loss who underwent implantation at a
younger age received more benefit from the implantation.
Conclusion : The CAP score was found to be a useful and sensitive tool to evaluate the outcome of auditory
receptive abilities in young congenital deaf children who underwent cochlear implantation. The accessible
outcome measurement will provide information for parents and professionals to obtain a hierarchical scale
on which the children’s auditory ability with other more formal measures may be inappropriate.
Keywords : Categories of auditory performance, Cochlear implant, Lip reading
