Effects of inner ear malformations on auditory perception and language development in cochlear implant users

OBJECTIVES: Inner ear malformations (IEMs) represent a major structural cause of congenital sensorineural hearing loss. This study aimed to examine the impact of IEM subtype on auditory perception and language development outcomes in pediatric cochlear implant (CI) users. DESIGN: A total of 51 children with IEMs who underwent cochlear implantation were included. Of these, 12 (23.5%) had an incomplete partition type 1 (IP-1), 21 (41.2%) had incomplete partition type 2 (IP-2), 11 (21.6%) had enlarged vestibular aqueduct (EVA), and seven (13.7%) had cochlear aperture abnormalities. STUDY SAMPLE: In this cross-sectional study, auditory perception and language development were assessed in pediatric CI users with different types of IEM. RESULTS: The mean age of implantation was 37.29 ± 23.24 months, and the mean age at language assessment was 112.84 ± 38.67 months. Significant differences in auditory and language test scores were observed among the IEM subgroups (P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: IEM subtype significantly influences auditory performance and language development outcomes in pediatric CI users. These anatomical differences should be considered during preoperative counseling and in the planning of postoperative rehabilitation. Notably, despite intergroup variability, all participants demonstrated measurable improvements in auditory perception and speech production following cochlear implantation.