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Listening comprehension in profoundly deaf children with cochlear implants: the role of auditory perception and foundational linguistic and cognitive skills

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Abstract

Purpose

The aim of the study was to investigate the listening comprehension (LC) skills in deaf and hard of hearing children (DHH) using cochlear implants (CI). Besides, personal and audiological variables that could influence the levels of competence reached were analyzed.

Methods

Thirty-four children using CI were enrolled. LC skills were assessed through the standardized Italian test “Comprensione Orale—Test e Trattamento” (CO-TT). A univariate analysis was conducted to compare LC with gender, listening mode (unilateral or bilateral), maternal level of education and family income. A bivariate analysis was performed to search possible connections between children’s performances and their individual characteristics, audiological conditions, and language levels. Finally, a multivariate analysis was performed using a stepwise hierarchical linear regression model which included all variables whose p value resulted  ≤ 0.05.

Results

Twenty-one children using CI (61.8%) showed adequate performances in terms of chronological age, while 13 (38.2%) showed difficulties in LC. Maternal level of education, age at diagnosis and non-verbal cognitive level accounted for 43% of the observed variance. Auditory attention skills explained an additional 15% of variance. Morphosyntactic comprehension added a further 12% of variance.

Conclusion

CI can really help many DHH children to reach adequate LC skills, but in some cases difficulties remain. Factors influencing LC need to be early investigated and considered when planning an appropriate rehabilitative intervention.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sensorial Organs, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Nomentana, 401 00162, Rome, Italy

    Maria Nicastri, Giovanni Ruoppolo, Ilaria Giallini, Chiara Cocchi, Antonio Greco & Patrizia Mancini

  2. Department of Otorhinolaryngology, “Guglielmo da Saliceto” Hospital, Piacenza, Italy

    Letizia Guerzoni & Domenico Cuda

  3. Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy

    Marco de Vincentiis

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  1. Maria Nicastri
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Correspondence to Giovanni Ruoppolo.

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Nicastri, M., Ruoppolo, G., Guerzoni, L. et al. Listening comprehension in profoundly deaf children with cochlear implants: the role of auditory perception and foundational linguistic and cognitive skills. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 279, 3917–3928 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-021-07156-y

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