Cochlear Implantation and Educational and Quality-of-Life Outcomes in Adolescence

Abstract

ImportanceCochlear implants (CIs) have been shown to be effective in improving auditory skills and speech and language development. However, less is known about the long-term outcomes of CIs on educational functioning or quality of life.ObjectiveTo evaluate long-term educational outcomes and quality of life in adolescents over 13 years postimplantation.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsThis longitudinal cohort study included 188 children with bilateral severe to profound hearing loss with CIs from the Childhood Development After Cochlear Implantation (CDaCI) study from hospital-based CI programs; a cohort of 340 children with severe to profound hearing loss without CIs from a nationally representative survey (National Longitudinal Transition Study-2; NLTS-2), and results from the literature of comparable children without CIs.Exposure(s)Cochlear implantation (early and late).Main Outcomes and MeasuresAdolescent performance on measures of academic achievement (Woodcock Johnson), language (Comprehensive Assessment of Spoken Language), and quality of life (Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory, Youth Quality of Life Instrument–Deaf and Hard of Hearing).ResultsThe CDaCI cohort included 188 children, 136 of whom completed the wave 3 postimplantation follow-up visits (77 [55%] female) with CIs; mean [SD] age was 11.47 [1.27] years. The NLTS-2 cohort included 340 children (50% female) with severe to profound hearing loss without CIs. Children with CIs had better academic performance compared with children without CIs with similar levels of hearing loss. The largest benefits were seen for children who received implants early (prior to age 18 months), who performed at or above age and gender norms for language and academic achievement. Similarly, adolescents with CIs reported better quality of life on the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory compared with children without CIs. On a condition-specific measure (Youth Quality of Life Instrument–Deaf and Hard of Hearing), children who received implants early scored higher across all 3 domains than comparisons without CIs.Conclusions and RelevanceTo our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate long-term educational outcomes and quality of life in adolescents using CIs. This longitudinal cohort study showed better outcomes of CIs in terms of language, academic performance, and quality of life. While the greatest benefits were observed for children who received implants before age 18 months, benefits were also noted for children who received implants later, providing evidence that children with severe to profound hearing loss with CIs can achieve at or above expected levels compared with hearing peers.