The Benefits of Cochlear Implantation for Adults: A Systematic Umbrella Review
Ear & Hearing
Tang, D., Tran, Y., et al. (2024).
Ear & Hearing, 45(4), 801-807.
<div>This umbrella review of systematic reviews investigates the effects of cochlear implantation (CI) on auditory performance, psychosocial, and economic outcomes in adults, 18 years and older, with hearing loss. Specific details about the included articles are available elsewhere in the Evidence Maps. See the Associated Article(s) section below for the citations.</div>
Australian Hearing Hub (Australia)
<div>The data in this umbrella review are included in other documents in the Evidence Maps, some of which are listed in the Associated Article(s) section below. For the full list of included studies, please see Table 2 of the <a href="https://cdn-links.lww.com/permalink/eandh/b/eandh_1_1_2023_12_25_tang_eandh-d-23-00301_sdc4.pdf">Supplemental Digital Content</a>.</div>
1990 to October 6, 2022
<div>Review articles</div>
42
<div>Unilateral cochlear implantation (CI) significantly improved speech perception in noise and in quiet (standard mean difference [SMD]=2.8) and sound lateralization (SMD=-1.13) in individuals with single-sided deafness. Bimodal users (i.e., CI in the ear with the greatest hearing loss and hearing aid in the other ear) demonstrated significantly better auditory outcomes for Texas Instruments Massachusetts Institute of Technology in noise (SMD=-5.11) and in quiet (SMD=-5.99) tests, consonant-nucleus-consonant word scores (SMD=-10.56), and the hearing in noise test (SMD=-10.56).<br><br>Limitations of this umbrella review include the heterogeneity of articles, variability in the assessment methods and outcome measures, and the possible exclusion of relevant articles. Additional research utilizing standardized CI assessment measures is needed.</div>
<div>Irrespective of etiology, population, or age, adults with hearing loss (HL) experienced auditory, hearing performance, and quality of life benefits from cochlear implants (CI). Most adults with post-lingual HL (82%) improved their speech-perception abilities by 15%. The included reviews reported improvements in other symptoms such as tinnitus, dizziness, and vertigo. Preliminary evidence indicated that CI users maintain or improve cognition after 1 year.</div>
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<div>Barriers to CI uptake include fears about surgical and device-related complications. One review identified complications in 12.8% of CI recipients and major complications in 2.7% of cases.</div>
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<div>Limitations of this umbrella review include the heterogeneity of articles, variability in the assessment methods and outcome measures, and the possible exclusion of relevant articles. Additional research utilizing standardized CI assessment measures is needed.</div>
<div>The included reviews failed to provide explicit candidacy evaluation criteria for cochlear implantation (CI) in adults with hearing loss.</div>
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<div>Limitations of this umbrella review include the heterogeneity of articles, variability in the assessment methods and outcome measures, and the possible exclusion of relevant articles. Additional research utilizing standardized CI assessment measures is needed.</div>
