Cochlear implant in patients with autistic spectrum disorder—a systematic review

INTRODUCTION: In cases of autism spectrum disorders with severe to profound hearing loss, cochlear implant is a therapeutic option. OBJECTIVE: To identify evidence in the scientific literature that the cochlear implant brings benefits to people with autism spectrum disorders with associated hearing loss. METHODS: Systematic review of the literature based on the criteria recommended by PRISMA. The population, intervention, comparison, outcomes, study design, PICOS strategy, was used to define the eligibility criteria. The studies that met the inclusion criteria for this second stage were included in a qualitative synthesis. Each type of study was analyzed according to the Joanna Briggs Institute's risk of bias assessment through the critical checklist for cohort studies, prevalence studies and critical criteria and case reports. RESULTS: Four hundred and eighty-four articles were found in eight databases and 100 in the gray literature, mentioning the relationship between cochlear implants in patients with autism spectrum disorder and hearing loss. Twelve articles were read in full and 7 were selected for qualitative analysis in this systematic review. All seven articles were analyzed on the critical evaluation checklist. Four articles had a low risk of bias and three articles had a moderate risk of bias. In this study, were included 66 patients with autism spectrum disorder and hearing loss who received cochlear implant. CONCLUSION: This systematic review indicates that a cochlear implant can bring benefits to autism spectrum disorder patients with associated deafness.