Neural Recovery Function of the Auditory Nerve in Cochlear Implant Surgery: Comparison between Prelingual and Postlingual Patients

Abstract Introduction Cochlear implants (CIs) enable objective measures of the neural function in implanted patients through the measurements of the neural response telemetry (NRT) and of the Auditory nerve Recovery Function (REC). These measurements help in programming the speech processor and understanding the auditory system. Objective To compare the NRT and the REC in prelingual and postlingual implanted patients. Methods An observational, descriptive and prospective study was carried out. The NRT and the REC (through the T0, A, and tau parameters) were evaluated in individuals submitted to CI surgery, who were divided into two groups: prelingual and postlingual patients. Results In total, 46 patients were evaluated. Data analysis showed no statistically significant difference between the NRT measurements and the T0, A, and Tau of the REC in the comparison between the two groups, except for the NRT in the basal cochlear region. Conclusion There was no statistically significant difference in the REC in pre- and postlingual patients.

Surgical and functional outcomes of cochlear implantation in post-lingual and cross-over patients: First 5-year review of the National Ministry of Health Malaysia cochlear implant programme

@#Introduction: There has been a paradigm shift in the management of acquired sensory neural deafness in the past 30years. This is due to the emergence of implantable hearing devices such as the cochlear implant. The objective of this study is to identify surgical and functional outcomes of post-lingual and cross-over patients implanted with a cochlear implant under the National Ministry of Heath Cochlear Implant (CI) Program between 2009-2013. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed all postlingual and cross-over recipients of cochlear implants under the National Ministry of Heath CI Programme from 2009 to 2013. The outcomes measured were surgical complications and functional outcome. Surgical complications were divided into major and minor complications. Functional outcomes were measured using Categorical Auditory Performances (CAP) scale. Results: A total of 41 post-lingual and 15 cross-over patients were implanted between 2009 and 2013. The age of implantees ranged from 3.6 years to 63.2 years old. There were two major complications (3.6%), one is a case of electrode migration at three months post implantation, and six months post second implantation. Another was a case of device failure at about one-year post implantation. Both patients were reimplanted in the same ear. There was no minor complication. The CAP score for both groups (overall) showed significant improvement with 96.4% achieved CAP score of five and above at 24 months after implantation (p<0.001). The CAP score showed marked improvement at the first 6 months post implantation and continued to improve with time in both groups. Conclusion: The Malaysian National Ministry of Health Cochlear implant (CI) Program between 2009-2013 has been a successful programme with good surgical and functional outcomes among the post lingual and cross-over patients.

Avaliação sequencial do equilíbrio pré e pós-implante coclear em pacientes com surdez pós-lingual / Sequential study of vestibular function pre- and post cochlear implantation in postlingual deafened patients

INTRODUÇÃO: A literatura é discordante com relação à interferência do IC sobre o equilíbrio corporal. Sendo assim, resolvemos avaliar o equilíbrio corporal de pacientes surdos pós-linguais, submetidos a implante coclear unilateral. OBJETIVO: Observar o equilíbrio corporal pré e pós-implante coclear (IC) ao longo de 1 ano. CASUÍSTICA E METODOLOGIA: Estudo prospectivo observacional realizado com 24 pacientes adultos, surdos pós-linguais submetidos à avaliação vestibular antes e depois da cirurgia de implante coclear unilateral. A avaliação vestibular contou com um questionário sobre vertigem, prova calórica (PC), cadeira rotatória (CR) e posturografia dinâmica computadorizada (PDC) aplicados no pré-operatório, 60, 120, 180 dias e 1 ano após a cirurgia de IC. RESULTADOS: A tontura foi referida por 13 (54,2%) pacientes pré-IC, enquanto 11 (45.8%) não apresentaram a queixa. Ao final do estudo 11 sujeitos (84,6%) referiram melhora da tontura, em 1 (7,7%) permaneceu inalterada e em 1 (7,7%) piorou. Dos 24 pacientes apenas 5 indivíduos (20,8%) desenvolveram tontura no pós-operatório imediato com resolução completa após um mês. A prova calórica identificou 7 (29,2%) sujeitos normorreflexos, 8 (33,3%) com hiporreflexia ou arreflexia unilateral , 3 (12,5%) com hiporreflexia bilateral e 6 (25%) com arreflexia vestibular bilateral (AVB).Houve interferência do estímulo elétrico em ambas as orelhas e na evolução da recuperação postural após ativação do IC, que promoveu a melhora significativa dos índices da PDC ao longo de um ano de acompanhamento. Ao final do estudo, as médias numéricas das condições avaliadas pela PDC mostraram-se superiores nos indivíduos que apresentaram resposta à prova calórica em relação àqueles que possuíam AVB. CONCLUSÃO: Foi decisiva a presença ou não de resposta pós-calórica na evolução do equilíbrio corporal ao longo de 1 ano. A ausência de resposta pós-calórica na avaliação pré-operatória implicou em pior prognóstico na...

INTRODUCTION: There is no consensus in the literature with regard to the effects of cochlear implantation (CI) on vestibular function and balance in patients with deafness. Because of this fact we decided to assess vestibular function before and after unilateral cochlear implantation (CI) in patients with postlingual deafness. OBJECTIVE: To assess balance before and after cochlear implantation (CI) over the course of 1 year. PATIENTS AND METHODS: prospective, observational study sought to assess balance in 24 postlingually deaf adults undergoing vestibular evaluation before and after cochlear implantation (CI). Vestibular assessment consisting of a vertigo questionnaire, caloric tests (CT), rotary chair testing (RC), and computerized dynamic posturography (CDP) was performed preoperatively and at 60, 120, 180 days and 1 year after CI. RESULTS: Overall, 13 patients (54.2%) reported preoperative dizziness and 11 (45.8%) did not have the symptom pre-CI. At the end of the study dizziness ameliorated in 11 (84.6%), remained unchanged in 1 (7.7%) and worsened in 1 (7.7%). Only 5 of the 24 patients (20.8%) developed immediate postoperative dizziness, which resolved within a month. The caloric tests identified 7 (29.2%) patients with normal reflexes, 8 (33.3%) with unilateral areflexia or hyporeflexia, 3 (12.5%) with bilateral hyporeflexia, and 6 (25%) with bilateral vestibular loss (BVL). Electrical stimulation affected both ears and interfered with the progression of postural recovery after CI activation, which led to a significant improvement in CDP values over the course of 1 year of follow-up. At the end of the study, the mean values of the conditions assessed by CDP were higher in individuals who had responded to caloric tests than in individuals with BVL. The better postural performance of subjects with BVL may be due to better use of visual information. CONCLUSION: The presence or absence of CT response was a decisive determinant of balance...

Changes in the Regional Cerebral Blood Flow in Postlingual Deaf Patients Measured by ECD-SPECT: Preliminary Study / 대한이비인후과학회지

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Cochlear implantation improves hearing ability in adults with profound deafness. Using non-invasive functional brain imaging methods, it is now possible to assess regional blood flow and activity of auditory cortex which might be correlated to the outcome of cochlear implantation. The aim of this study was to measure the regional cerebral blood flow in patients with postlingual deafness utilizing controls in a variety of methods. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: Six postlingual deaf adults who were planned to undertake cochlear implantation and 12 normal controls were examined with technetium-99m-labeled ethyl cysteinate dimer single-photon emission computed tomography (99mTc-ECD-SPECT). Images of the regional cerebral blood flow were processed by statistical parametric mapping and analyzed by unpaired t-test. RESULTS: The analysis of the SPECT images of the 6 deaf patients showed decreased cerebral blood flow in both superior, middle temporal and inferior prefrontal lobes compared with controls (p<0.001). Also this decreased auditory cortical blood flow was greater in left hemisphere in all patients. CONCLUSION: The degree of remaining activity of auditory cortex and the lateralization of the dominant auditory hemisphere, which may influence on the outcome of cochlear implantation, could be measured by ECD-SPECT.