A/Prof. Shani Dettman1, Dr Dawn Choo1, Ms Chayann Fonseka1, Ms Elysia To1, Ms Kanyi Wang1, Ms Saffrey Brown1, Ms Sumail Singh1, Dr Peter Carew1
1The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
“Without data you’re just another person with an opinion” W. Edwards Deming
Purpose 1. Examine prevalence of bilateral simultaneous, bilateral sequential and unilateral cochlear implants (CIs). 2. Use matched triads to examine impact of bilateral versus unilateral CIs on language. Method 1. Retrospective analysis of a paediatric database from one centre. 2. Authors, blind to outcomes, matched 34 triads on gender, presence/absence of comorbid diagnosis, age-at-first-CI younger than 3.5 years and age-at-assessment. Triads had no significant differences in child/family variables; gender, relative socio-economic advantage, communication approach. Receptive language standard scores (SS) from PLS-4, PLS-5 or PPVT-4 were pooled. This study did not consider expressive SS, functional listening in background noise, qualitative benefits, nor parental anecdotes of the benefits to ‘having at least one ear’ in case of speech processor/implant failure. Results 1. Of 1257 children in the database, there were 1117 who proceeded with CIs and 140 who were pre-implant/may not proceed (e.g., cochleae anatomy, significant intellectual disability, single sided deafness/awaiting decision). Of 1117 who underwent CIs, there were 221 simultaneous, 286 sequential, and 573 unilateral (records unavailable for 37). Chi square indicated significant changes in proportions of simultaneous, sequential or unilateral CIs over three decades in this centre, X2 (4, N = 1079) = 188, p < .001. In the present decade, CI surgeries were: simultaneous 39%; sequential 22%; and unilateral 37%. 2. In 34 matched triads, mean receptive SS were: simultaneous 75.6 (range 50 – 130; SD 22.9); sequential 77.4 (range 50 – 117; SD 21.3); and unilateral 76.9 (range 39 – 113; SD 18.2) with no significant differences (ANOVA F(2, 99) = .06, p = .94). Conclusions. Results suggested that when child/device/family variables known to impact language were controlled, using a matched-triads design, there were no statistically significant differences in receptive language outcomes for children who received simultaneous, sequential, or unilateral CIs younger than 3.5 years of age.
Biography:
Dr Peter Carew is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology at The University of Melbourne and a post-doctoral researcher at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute. Peter holds a Master in Clinical Audiology, PhD and Graduate Certificate in University Teaching. pcarew@unimelb.edu.au or peter.carew@mcri.edu.au