Bilateral CI article

June 13, 2006

My daughter is not a CI candidate, but just happened to see this on

parentcenter.com

Treatment helps deaf children with speech perception

FRIDAY, June 2 (HealthDay News) — Sequential placement of cochlear

implants — electronic devices that can help restore partial hearing to

deaf people — in both a child's ears may help improve speech

perception in quiet and noisy settings, a U.S. study finds.

The study included 30 children, aged 3 to 13, who received one

cochlear implant and then a second in the other ear a minimum of six

months later. The children's speech perception in quiet and in noise

was tested at three, six, and 12 months in both unilateral (one ear)

and bilateral hearing conditions.

In quiet conditions, the children acquired speech perception in the

second ear within six months, but children younger than age 8 did so

more quickly and acquired a higher level of speech perception compared

to older children, said researchers at the Dallas Otolaryngology

Cochlear Implant Program, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

The children's speech perception in noisy conditions was much better

when they had two cochlear implants than just one, the researchers added.

" Bilateral sequentially implanted children who are successful users of

their first device are able to obtain open set speech discrimination

in their second ear, even when receiving their second implant as late

as 13 years of age, " the researchers wrote. " Speech perception scores

in the second ear improve with experience during the first six months

of implant use. Scores continue to improve for up to 12 months in

younger children. Further experience past six months may not add an

additional improvement in older children, " they added.

The study was presented at the recent annual meeting of the American

Otological Society, in Chicago.

More information

The U.S. National Library of Medicine has more about cochlear implants.

-- Preidt, HealthDayNews

Source: American Otological Society, news release, May 22, 2006

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