Communicative and Hearing Performance in Individuals with Cochlear Implants and Delayed Neuropsychomotor Development: A Longitudinal Analysis

Introduction Between 15% to 30% of individuals with bilateral prelingual sensorineural hearing loss present with associated disabilities. Cochlear implant (CI) is an alternative treatment that provides consistent access to environmental and speech sounds, which results in significant benefits regarding quality of life and auditory and language development. Objectives To study the auditory and communicative performance of individuals with CI and delayed neuropsychomotor development after a minimum of five years using the device. Methods A total of eight patients were included in the study. We collected the multidisciplinary clinical records of participants, as well as the answers for the questionnaires applied remotely, which included the Children with Cochlear Implants: Parental Perspectives (CCIPP), International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health: Children and Youth Version (ICF-CY), and the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS). Results We found that throughout the years of CI use, the auditory threshold means improved significantly in all tested frequencies, as did the speech detection threshold and the language and hearing results. Regarding parental perception, parents evaluated aspects related to their children's social relations to be positive, and had worse perceptions regarding aspects related to their education. Conclusion We observed a progression in the participants' auditory and language skills throughout the years of CI use; even in the presence of other associated disabilities. Future multicentric studies with larger samples are needed to further the advancement of rehabilitation in patients with other associated disabilities.