Barriers to Early Progress in Adult Cochlear Implant Outcomes

Both peripheral and neurocognitive processing factors affect early sentence recognition after CI activation. Peripheral limiting factors may have been detected less often than neurocognitive limiting factors because they were defined using sample-based criteria versus normal population-based criteria. Early performance was generally predictive of long-term performance. Understanding the measurable covariables that limit CI performance may inform follow-up and improve counseling. A score of ≥90% for sentence recognition in quiet at 1 month may be used to define successful progress; whereas, lower scores indicate the need for diagnostic testing and ongoing rehabilitation. Our findings suggest that sentence test scores as early as 1 day after activation can provide vital information for the new CI user and indicate the need for rehabilitation follow-up.