Abstract
Aims
Cochlear implantation (CI) is established as a standard remedy for children with congenital bilateral profound hearing loss to attain hearing perception and thereby develop speech and language. A subgroup includes children with multiple disabilities in whom the implant helps to improve their quality of life and also of their families via enhanced communication skills. Cochlear implants today form an integral part of their multi-handicap rehabilitation process.
Material and Methods
A retrospective cohort study was carried out on children with and without multiple handicaps who have received cochlear implantation at the cochlear implant clinic of MERF, Chennai, India over the past decade. Category of Auditory Performance (CAP) scores, Speech Intelligibility Rating (SIR) scores, and also Meaningful Auditory-Integration Scale (MAIS) and Meaningful Use of Speech Scale (MUSS) scores were compared at set time frequencies of 6 months and 12 months post-implantation between the two groups of implanted children.
Results
All the four CAP, SIR, MAIS and MUSS scores showed improvement over time with auditory and speech therapy in both groups of children as reflected by the improvement in their quality of life. The normative group of implantees showed better improvement compared to the group of children with multiple disabilities.
Conclusion
Intensive habilitation is essential especially for children with multiple disabilities who have received cochlear implantation in which their special needs are addressed individually and optimised for the best outcome. The study shows that restoration of the special sense of hearing helps as a remedy to alleviate their other multi-handicaps to a notable extent.
Cochlear implantation (CI) is established as a standard remedy for children with congenital bilateral profound hearing loss to attain hearing perception and thereby develop speech and language. A subgroup includes children with multiple disabilities in whom the implant helps to improve their quality of life and also of their families via enhanced communication skills. Cochlear implants today form an integral part of their multi-handicap rehabilitation process.
Material and Methods
A retrospective cohort study was carried out on children with and without multiple handicaps who have received cochlear implantation at the cochlear implant clinic of MERF, Chennai, India over the past decade. Category of Auditory Performance (CAP) scores, Speech Intelligibility Rating (SIR) scores, and also Meaningful Auditory-Integration Scale (MAIS) and Meaningful Use of Speech Scale (MUSS) scores were compared at set time frequencies of 6 months and 12 months post-implantation between the two groups of implanted children.
Results
All the four CAP, SIR, MAIS and MUSS scores showed improvement over time with auditory and speech therapy in both groups of children as reflected by the improvement in their quality of life. The normative group of implantees showed better improvement compared to the group of children with multiple disabilities.
Conclusion
Intensive habilitation is essential especially for children with multiple disabilities who have received cochlear implantation in which their special needs are addressed individually and optimised for the best outcome. The study shows that restoration of the special sense of hearing helps as a remedy to alleviate their other multi-handicaps to a notable extent.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 140–146 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Indian Journal of Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery |
| Volume | 73 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| Early online date | 13 Apr 2020 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Jun 2021 |
Bibliographical note
Open Access via Springer Compact AgreementWe would like to thank the team and the Auditory Verbal Habilitationists at Madras ENT Research Foundation (MERF), Chennai for all their support during the course of this project. Special thanks to the Medical Statistics Team at the University of Aberdeen for additional advice on the data analysis.
Keywords
- Auditory verbal habilitation (AVH)
- Category of auditory performance (CAP)
- Cochlear implantation (CI)
- Meaningful auditory integration scale (MAIS)
- Meaningful use of speech score (MUSS)
- Speech intelligibility rating (SIR)