Postoperative Audiology And Language Outcomes Of Pediatric Cochlear Implant Recipients Combined With White Matter Abnormalities

Objective: To investigate the audiology and language outcomes of the childrencombined with white matter abnormalities (WMA) after cochlear implanting.Methods: Retrospective review of pediatric CI recipients from Deaf ChildrenRehabilitation Center in Fujian province since2012was performed.14patients withWMA were included as experiment group,17patients without WMA were includedas control group. MRI reports along with preoperative and postoperative audiology,speech and language outcomes were assessed.Result:(1) At WMA group,5(36%) had the history of premature, hypoxic orischemic at birth,2(14%) were demonstrated significant delays or disorders ofmotor system development. MRI scans revealed the most frequently involvedcerebrum regions were frontal lobe, parietal lobe and periventricular areas. MostWMA were detected at multi cerebrum regions.(2) The preoperative hearingthreshold were99±10dB SPL at WMA group and98±8dB SPL at control group.While the postoperative hearing threshold were38±5dB SPL at WMA group and36±5dB SPL at control group. There was not statistical differences between twogroups (P>0.05).(3) Post-implantation testing results and scores assessing speechcomprehension, listening skills, use of spoken language and vocabulary werereviewed. We found that at6month post-operation, the scores between two groupsshowed no significant differences (P>0.05). But after12months, the patients incontrol group did better with postoperative speech and language development(p<0.05). No patients in this study demonstrated significant delays and difficultieswith postoperative speech and language development.Conclusions:(1) Currently, there is no clear discernment of the possible associationbetween the MRI findings and postoperative rehabilitation and function in CI patients. It is difficult to predict outcome of cochlear implantation based on the abnomal MRIfindings.(2)All patients, including patients with WMA, were benefit from thecochlear implantation. Their hearing thresholds were significantly improved aftercochlear implantation. Since there was not statistical differences between WMAgroup and control group, it may indicated that the lesions which lead to hearing losswere mainly located in Cochlea.(3)Post-implantation testing results showed that thepatients in control group did better than that in WMA group with postoperativespeech and language development, which indicate that the WMA may negativelyimpact on the outcome of cochlear implantation.