Predictor of Auditory Performance in Mandarin Chinese Children With Cochlear Implants

Abstract

The objectives of this investigation were to analyze auditory performance among Mandarin-speaking school-aged children with cochlear implants from their parents' perspective and to derive predictive factors of the performance. Parental perspective survey of cochlear implant outcome was developed, and factor analysis of auditory performance was performed by analysis of variance. Categorical regression and Pratt measure of relative importance were approached to derive predictive factors of the performance. Chung Shan Medical University, School of Speech Language Pathology and Audiology, and 7 major cochlear implant hospitals in Taiwan. A total of 177 parents of school-aged children with cochlear implants, with a mean age of 11.36 years (range, 6.75-18.75 yr), were included as participants from 7 major cochlear implant centers nationally. All children received unilateral multichannel cochlear implants for a 1-year experience. The CAPR was the measure of auditory performance, and 31 variables from 5 parts of the recipients' information were explored as independent variables. Of all children with implants, 63.8% reached the level of telephone use. Analysis of variance showed that 9 variables correlated significantly with auditory performance (F = 14.04, p < 0.001; multiple R = 0.79, R = 0.63). Categorical regression demonstrated that 5 factors, namely, "no additional disabilities," "oral/aural communication mode at home" and "at school," "educational placement," and "perception of implantation decision" predicted auditory performance. Parental perspective survey demonstrated the level of auditory performance among 177 school-aged children with implant. Five factors were found to predict the auditory performance of these children, suggesting the recipient's participation in the environments, oral/aural communication mode, and without additional disabilities significantly contributing auditory performance. The parent's view of cochlear implantation provides not only an important value of children's function in real life but also as another outcome measure.