Auditory and verbal skills development post-cochlear implantation in Mandarin children with auditory neuropathy: a follow-up study

Background Cochlear implant (CI) is commonly used as one of the interventions in auditory neuropathy (AN) children. However, there are limited studies regarding the efficiency of CI in AN children. Objective This study aimed to compare the auditory and verbal skills development between the AN and typically developing (TD) children with CI. Methods The follow-up study compared the post-CI scores of questionnaires of AN and TD children about auditory and verbal skills development at 0, 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, 12, and 18 months of CI use. Results The results of auditory perception in AN and TD groups showed a significant improvement after first 3 months. Furthermore, the score was significantly lower in AN group after 18 months of CI use. The results of verbal skills in AN group showed a progressive trend after 9 months of CI use. Besides, the scores were significantly lower in AN group after 12 months of CI use. Conclusion and significance The auditory perception development in AN children with CI was rapidly improved during first 3 months, and verbal skills showed a trend of improvement after 9 months of CI use. However, the differences in auditory and verbal skills between AN and TD groups increased over time.