Affiliations: Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery,
Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA | Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences,
Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
Note: [] Corresponding author: Nathaniel R. Peterson, M.D., Department of
Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine,
699 West Drive, RR044, Indianapolis, IN 46202-5119, USA. Tel.: +1 317 274 4931;
E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract: Cochlear implants (CIs) process sounds electronically and then
transmit electric stimulation to the cochlea of individuals with sensorineural
deafness, restoring some sensation of auditory perception. Many congenitally
deaf CI recipients achieve a high degree of accuracy in speech perception and
develop near-normal language skills. Post-lingually deafened implant recipients
often regain the ability to understand and use spoken language with or without
the aid of visual input (i.e. lip reading). However, there is wide variation
in individual outcomes following cochlear implantation, and some CI recipients
never develop useable speech and oral language skills. The causes of this
enormous variation in outcomes are only partly understood at the present time.
The variables most strongly associated with language outcomes are age at
implantation and mode of communication in rehabilitation. Thus, some of the
more important factors determining success of cochlear implantation are broadly
related to neural plasticity that appears to be transiently present in deaf
individuals. In this article we review the expected outcomes of cochlear
implantation, potential predictors of those outcomes, the basic science
regarding critical and sensitive periods, and several new research directions
in the field of cochlear implantation.