A MultiCenter Analysis of Factors Associated with Hearing Outcome for 2,735 Adults with Cochlear Implants.
Benjamin Goudey, Kerrie Plant, Isabell Kiral and 10 others
PMID 34524944WHAT IT FOUND
Longer deafness and prelingual hearing loss consistently predict worse word recognition after cochlear implants, but right-ear implantation also predicts better scores.
These factors explain only a modest amount of outcome variability, so individual prediction remains imprecise.
Key findings
01Greater years of deafness before implantation and prelingual hearing loss are associated with worse postoperative word recognition scores.
02Implanting the right ear is associated with better word recognition scores compared to the left ear.
03The combination of predictive factors explains only 12% to 21% of the variance in postoperative word recognition scores.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study used different monosyllabic word tests at each clinic, which may affect score comparability. Data collection practices varied significantly between clinics, especially regarding etiology and duration of hearing loss definitions. The analysis lacked important variables like electrode placement, insertion depth, implant brand, and rehabilitation details. Only a single time-point outcome measure was used, which may not capture the full trajectory of hearing performance. Rule-based imputation was applied to missing audiogram and preoperative word score data, affecting nearly 25% of records.
Declared interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest. The Vanderbilt University Medical Center dataset collection was supported by a National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders grant.
The easy way to misread this
Do not treat these associations as precise individual predictions. The models explained only a small portion of the variance in outcomes, meaning many patients will deviate significantly from what these factors suggest.