Pediatric Auditory Brainstem Implantation: Impact on Audiological Rehabilitation and Tonal Language Development

Abstract

Objective: This is a retrospective review of the impact of an Auditory Brainstem Implant (ABI) on the audiological rehabilitation and tonal language development of pediatric patients with prelingual profound deafness in Hong Kong. Results: From January 2009 to February 2015, 11 pediatric patients with profound prelingual deafness received an ABI in Hong Kong (age range 1.67–3.75 years). Etiologies included Cochlear Nerve Deficiency in 7, Severe Cochlear Malformations in 2, and Retrocochlear Deafness in 2. All of them were rehabilitated in Cantonese, a dialect of Chinese. Standard pediatric cochlear implant outcome measurements were used in this study that comprised of the 7-Sound Detection, Syllable Identification, Vowel Identification, Consonant Identification, Tone Imitation, Tone Production and Speech Perception Category. Audiological rehabilitation and speech development outcomes were reviewed. Age-matched outcomes of pediatric cochlear implant users were used for comparisons. Conclusion: Encouraging results of speech development were found, especially with continued use of the ABI. There was considerable variation in outcomes. Children with coexisting developmental and nonauditory cognitive disabilities did not perform as well. Auditory brainstem implantation is a safe and beneficial treatment for profound prelingual deafness in Cantonese-speaking pediatric patients.

Word characteristics and speech production accuracy in children with auditory brainstem implants: a longitudinal triple case report

“…According to a consensus statement (Sennaroglu, Colletti, et al, 2016), a pure tone average with ABI may be expected between 30 and 60 dB HL. Sound detection and environmental sound awareness occurs during the first year of device use (Sung et al, 2018), but the time required to obtain sound detection can vary greatly from 2 weeks to up to 18 months of ABI use (Teagle, Henderson, He, Ewend, & Buchman, 2018). Better auditory performance and speech production development appear with earlier age at ABI implantation (Aslan et al, 2020), the absence of additional disabilities (L. Colletti, Shannon, & Colletti, 2014;Sennaroglu, Colletti, et al, 2016;van der Straaten et al, 2019) and lower hearing thresholds (Sennaroglu, Colletti, et al, 2016).…”

Hearing and language development in children with brainstem implants: a systematic review

“…The data suggest that eABR-based fitting helps children to achieve hearing perception and development faster. Sung et al (2018)/China 12 Retrospective review of the impact of ABI on audiological rehabilitation and language development of pediatric patients with profound prelingual deafness. 11 children with ABI (age group 1.67‒3.75 years) Encouraging results in speech development were found, especially with the continuous use of the ABI.…”

Percepção auditiva e desenvolvimento de linguagem oral após cirurgia de implante auditivo de tronco encefálico: uma revisão de escopo

“…O total de 15,93% (n=40) das crianças avaliadas apresentava comorbidades associadas, sendo, 17,50% (n=7/40) com síndrome de Charge (14,22,24,25) , 2,50% (n=1/40) com síndrome de Down (34) , 5% (n=2/40) com síndrome de Goldenhar (13,25) , 25% (n=10/40) com retardo mental, atrasos cognitivos e/ou de desenvolvimento (10,23,25,36) , 2,50% (n=1/40) com transtorno do espectro autista (TEA) (25) , 12,50% (n=5/40) com transtorno do déficit de atenção e hiperatividade (TDAH) (10) e 37,50% (n=15/40) com comorbidades não especificadas (10,19,22) .…”