TOWARDS A UNIFIED METHOD OF ASSESSING EARLY AUDITORY DEVELOPMENT AFTER COCHLEAR IMPLANTATION: MEASURING RELATIVE DELAY

Current research on auditory development in children with profound sensorineural hearing loss emphasizes the importance of providing effective auditory stimulation as early as possible, preferably before 12 months of age. Cochlear implants have been identified as the most effective method for delivering sound to the auditory system in these children. To minimize neurological consequences of congenital profound sensorineural hearing loss it is vital to monitor all stages of auditory development right from the moment of implantation. The LittlEARS Auditory Questionnaire, by measuring hearing ability in children up to 24 months of age, facilitates such an assessment. In this paper multiple approaches to reporting results of the LittlEARS are reviewed. Two difficulties with interpreting the results from cohorts of cochlear implanted children are identified, one related to variability of the results and the second to the age of the child at intervention. To overcome these difficulties a method of calculating the “relative delay” in auditory development is proposed. The method should facilitate between-group comparisons in single or multicenter studies, as well as improve meta-analysis of data in evidence-based practice.