Cochlear Implantation in Children With Single-Sided Deafness: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
JAMA Otolaryngology– Head & Neck Surgery
Benchetrit, L., Ronner, E. A., et al. (2021).
JAMA Otolaryngology– Head & Neck Surgery, 147(1), 58-69.
This meta-analysis investigates the effects of cochlear implantation on speech perception, sound localization, device use, and/or patient-reported outcomes in children with single-sided deafness. Single-sided deafness was defined as one-sided pure-tone average of 90 dB or higher and/or an auditory brainstem response of 80 or higher with normal hearing in the contralateral ear.
Not stated
Database inception to February 18, 2020
Published literature
12 studies total; 6 studies included in the meta-analysis
For children with single-sided deafness (SSD), eight studies investigating speech perception in noise found 79.6% of children experienced improvements after cochlear implantation (CI) with five studies reporting clinically meaningful improvements and two studies reporting statistically significant improvements. Six studies investigating speech perception in quiet in the implant ear-only found 81% of children experienced improvements. Six studies investigating sound localization found improvements one to two years after CI with a mean reduction of 24.78 degrees in localization error. Four studies using the Speech, Spatial, and Qualities Hearing Scale (SSQ) for patient-reported outcomes found statistically significant improvements in reported speech hearing, spatial hearing, and hearing quality domains. Children with acquired SSD demonstrated greater improvements than children with congenital SSD. Overall, "cochlear implantation was associated with improved objective and subjective auditory outcomes. Children with acquired SSD and shorter durations of deafness, however, reported experiencing greater advantages and were less likely to become nonusers of implant devices" (p. 67). Due to the heterogeneity and small sample sizes of the included studies, further research is warranted.
