Predictive factors in cochlear implants.

Predictive factors in cochlear implants. The clinical records of 32 patients who received a multichannel cochlear implant between 1991 and 1994, were retrospectively reviewed. A Nucleus Mini 22 device was used in 27 cases, a Clarion device in 5 cases. The aim of this study was to identify the predictive role, and hence the influence on the final result of such factors as: the age of patients at implantation and at the onset of deafness, the duration of profound deafness, the aetiology of deafness, sudden or progressive hearing loss, the number of recordable sound frequencies, the promontory test outcome, the length of electrode insertion, the number of active electrodes, the map. A statistically significant negative correlation (p = 0.02) was found between the duration of deafness and patients' performance. The relationship between map and performance, due to the small number of patients, did not reach statistical significance although it was very close to the limit (p = 0.055). The other mentioned factors did not achieve any statistical significance.