Assessment of listening effort, real-life outcome, auditory working memory and attention in school-going children with cochlear implant

To compare the listening effort using objective test (dual-task paradigm), parents report using abbreviated version of the Speech, Spatial and Quality questionnaire (SSQ-P10) and Teachers’ Evaluation of Aural/Oral Performance of Children and Ease of Listening (TEACH), working memory and attention span between children using cochlear implants (CI) and age-matched peers with normal hearing sensitivity, and assess the relationship between listening effort and real-life benefit in children using CI.

Group I included 25 children with normal hearing sensitivity. Group II included 25 children with bimodal cochlear implantation with bilateral severe to profound hearing loss. The listening effort was assessed using the dual-task paradigm and SSQ-P10 whereas the TEACH questionnaire was used to assess the real-life outcome in children with CI. Also, digit span forward, digit span backward, and sound count test from CLAP-C were performed to assess working memory and attention, respectively.

The results revealed that children with normal hearing sensitivity performed significantly better in dual-task paradigm, real-life outcome measures, digit span forward test, digit span backward test and attention test of sound count than children with CI. There was a correlation between reaction time in dual-task paradigm and real-life outcome measures.

Listening effort and cognitive abilities are affected in children with CI. Listening effort can be measured in school-going children with cochlear implantation. Training may be required to improve real-life activities and improve the cognitive abilities of children with CI.