Is psychological status a determinant of speech perception outcomes in highly selected good adolescent cochlear implant users?

OBJECTIVE

The main purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between the speech perception skills and state-trait anxiety in cochlear implant user adolescents who were highly selected good candidates. The impact of preoperative speech perception ability on postoperative speech perception and state-trait anxiety status were also examined.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

The subjects for this study were 25 consecutively chosen congenitally profoundly deaf adolescents (12 boys, 13 girls) who received nucleus multi channel cochlear implants and were followed for at least a year at Hacettepe University. Daily Sentences in Turkish and State-Trait Anxiety Inventories (STAI) were administered to subjects after 12-72 months (mean: 35.28+/-18.27) of implant use.

RESULTS

The trait and state anxiety scores were matched with the relative rank of normal hearing subjects' trait-state anxiety scores and the analysis of post-implant state-trait anxiety findings shows that both state and trait anxiety scores were widespread but still in normal range. The correlation between trait, state anxiety scores and speech perception ability was not statistically significant in adolescent cochlear implant users. However, their preoperative speech perception scores were significantly correlated with their postoperative speech perception abilities.

CONCLUSION

The majority of adolescents, in this study, achieved varying degrees of open-set speech recognition and made greater gains than their previous auditory experience with hearing aids. Also, the indirect positive effects of early identification-amplification, communication therapy and counseling programs on their personal well-being is clearly observed from the outcomes of their state and trait anxiety scores. As a result of correlating the trait and state anxiety levels with pre- and post-implant speech perception skills, a significant negative correlation was expected. However, no statistical correlation was found between speech perception skills and the psychological outcomes. This result may be the indicator of the positive effect of the early habilitation-parental support and cochlear implant on the quality of life as the adolescents involved in this study were developmentally and audiologically ready for implantation. The present study provides understanding of the audiological and social-emotional influences of early identification and habilitation programs on adolescents with cochlear implants.