Some Measures of Verbal and Spatial Working Memory in Eight- and Nine-Year-Old Hearing-Impaired Children with Cochlear Implants

Abstract

Objective-The purpose of this study was to examine working memory for sequences of auditory and visual stimuli in prelingually deafened pediatric cochlear implant users with at least 4 yr of device experience.Design-Two groups of 8-and 9-yr-old children, 45 normal-hearing and 45 hearing-impaired users of cochlear implants, completed a novel working memory task requiring memory for sequences of either visual-spatial cues or visual-spatial cues paired with auditory signals. In each sequence, colored response buttons were illuminated either with or without simultaneous auditory presentation of verbal labels (color-names or digit-names). The child was required to reproduce each sequence by pressing the appropriate buttons on the response box. Sequence length was varied and a measure of memory span corresponding to the longest list length correctly reproduced under each set of presentation conditions was recorded. Additional children completed a modified task that eliminated the visual-spatial light cues but that still required reproduction of auditory color-name sequences using the same response box. Data from 37 pediatric cochlear implant users were collected using this modified task.Results-The cochlear implant group obtained shorter span scores on average than the normalhearing group, regardless of presentation format. The normal-hearing children also demonstrated a larger "redundancy gain" than children in the cochlear implant group-that is, the normal-hearing group displayed better memory for auditory-plus-lights sequences than for the lights-only sequences. Although the children with cochlear implants did not use the auditory signals as effectively as normal-hearing children when visual-spatial cues were also available, their performance on the modified memory task using only auditory cues showed that some of the children were capable of encoding auditory-only sequences at a level comparable with normalhearing children.Conclusions-The finding of smaller redundancy gains from the addition of auditory cues to visual-spatial sequences in the cochlear implant group as compared with the normal-hearing group demonstrates differences in encoding or rehearsal strategies between these two groups of children. Differences in memory span between the two groups even on a visual-spatial memory task suggests that atypical working memory development irrespective of input modality may be present in this clinical population.

Development of Visual Attention Skills in Prelingually Deaf Children Who Use Cochlear Implants

“…These children have been shown to have impaired immediate recall for sequences of stimuli regardless of modality of presentation provided that the stimuli can be verbally encoded (Cleary, Pisoni, & Geers, 2001;Dawson, Busby, McKay, & Clark, 2002;Pisoni & Cleary, 2003). Compared with normal-hearing children, prelingually deaf children with cochlear implants also display reduced immediate memory spans for auditory presentation of numbers, visual presentation of presentation of colored lights, auditory presentation of color names, and for auditory color names and lights presented together (Cleary et al, Pisoni & Cleary).…”

Speech Recognition in Adults With Cochlear Implants: The Effects of Working Memory, Phonological Sensitivity, and Aging

“…Several studies have suggested that verbal WM plays an important role in speech and language outcomes for children with CIs (Dawson, Busby, McKay, & Clark, 2002;Pisoni, 2014). Pediatric CI users consistently have poorer verbal WM than do age-matched NH peers, as determined through auditory tasks (Cleary, Pisoni, & Geers, 2001;Nittrouer et al, 2013). However, Dawson et al failed to find significant differences between children with NH and children with CIs in tasks of visuospatial WM, where the test items were unlikely to be recoded into verbal form.…”

Speech timing and working memory in profoundly deaf children after cochlear implantation

“…In a study from our laboratory, Cleary, Pisoni, and Geers (2001) reported that deaf children using cochlear implants had significantly shorter working memory spans for both verbal and spatial patterns than normal-hearing children. Other studies have found that pediatric cochlear implant users have shorter forward and backward digit spans than normal-hearing children Pisoni & Cleary, 2003).…”