Intelligence quotient testing in children with hearing loss: A systematic review

Objective: The objective of the current study is to perform a systematic review of the research literature to evaluate the impact of hearing loss on intelligence quotient (IQ) scores in pediatric patients. Data sources: Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) databases were searched from their inception up to December 21st, 2021. Review methods: Studies evaluating neurocognitive testing and hearing loss in children aged 21 years old or younger who had not undergone auditory rehabilitation were included in the study. Two independent reviewers evaluated titles, abstracts, and full texts for all included studies. Results: The literature search yielded 3199 studies of which 431 studies underwent full-text screening. 21 studies were ultimately selected for inclusion and contained a total of 1716 pediatric patients assessed through 13 different validated tests of intelligence. Six studies included both hearing impaired (HI) and normal hearing (NH) patients, and IQ testing results. Conclusion: The results of this large systematic review demonstrate that hearing impaired children may perform lower than their age-matched normal hearing peers on IQ testing across a battery of IQ testing modalities.