Pediatric Performance with the Med-EL Combi 40+ Cochlear Implant System

Abstract

Presented here are the results of speech perception measures and subjective scales from 68 children with 6 months of device experience and from 49 children with 12 months of experience in using the Med-El Combi 40+ cochlear implant system. All children demonstrated bilateral profound hearing loss before operation, and 90% experienced onset before 3 years of age, but their hearing losses had a broad range of causes. A battery of age-appropriate objective speech perception measures was administered, in addition to a battery of subjective auditory skill assessments. The group data indicate that the children showed a statistically significant improvement in a wide array of speech perception skills and auditory behaviors with this device. In addition, subjective therapist survey data indicated changes in primary receptive and expressive communication method with Combi 40+ device use. Individually, all children showed significant improvement on at least 1 of the speech perception measures used in the test battery. This evidence suggests that the Med-El Combi 40+ system can provide meaningful auditory information for profoundly deaf children, which in turn supports meaningful functional improvement in speech perception and communicative skill development.