Functional Consequences of Poor Binaural Hearing in Development: Evidence From Children With Unilateral Hearing Loss and Children Receiving Bilateral Cochlear Implants.
Claire McSweeny, Sharon L Cushing, Jennifer L Campos and 2 others
PMID 34661482WHAT IT FOUND
Children with unilateral hearing loss had similar language, academic, and visuospatial memory deficits as peers with bilateral deafness using cochlear implants.
Normal hearing in one ear did not prevent these developmental delays. Balance issues were equally common in both hearing loss groups.
Key findings
01Children with unilateral hearing loss performed similarly to those with bilateral cochlear implants on language and academic tests, and both groups scored lower than normal-hearing peers.
02Visuospatial working memory deficits were present in both hearing loss groups, while verbal working memory remained relatively intact compared to normal-hearing controls.
03Balance impairments were significant in children with unilateral hearing loss to the same extent as in children with bilateral cochlear implants.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study is cross-sectional, so it cannot determine if the hearing loss caused the developmental delays or if other factors contributed. There was no control group of children with unilateral hearing loss who used hearing aids or other interventions, so the effect of treatment on outcomes is unknown. The unilateral hearing loss group had little to no hearing aid use, which may limit generalizability to children who receive amplification. Some children did not complete all tests, particularly the vestibular assessments, leading to missing data in specific analyses. The study excluded children with cognitive or motor delays that would impede testing, so results may not apply to children with additional disabilities.
Declared interests
One author (KG) is a speaker for Cochlear Corp and Advanced Bionics. Another author (SLC) holds sponsored research agreements with Cochlear Americas, is a speaker for Cochlear Americas and Interacoustics, earns royalties from a book on balance disorders, and holds patents for balance stabilization systems. The study was supported by research endowment funds.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that cochlear implants are equivalent to unilateral hearing loss in terms of auditory access. The study compared outcomes in children with existing conditions, not the efficacy of implants versus no implants. Children with unilateral hearing loss had normal sensitivity in one ear but still showed significant developmental deficits, suggesting that binaural hearing is critical for optimal development.