Postoperative Predictors of Speech Reception in Cochlear Implant Users

In general, cochlear implant users see considerable benefit from their implant. Yet, there is great individual variation in speech reception. This study investigated whether individual differences in auditory and visual working memory abilities are related to speech reception in noise. To this end, we administered two tests of working memory – the WAIS-III Digit Span and PyVDT, a visual monitoring task – to 25 cochlear implant users. We found duration of profound hearing loss and age at profound hearing loss to be the best predictors of speech reception. We did not find Digit Span scores or visual monitoring as measured by the PyVDT to be useful predictors of speech reception. Additionally, we compared the Digit Span scores of our sample of cochlear implant users to the Danish WAIS-III Digit Span normative sample. On the Digit Span Forward, cochlear implant users scored approximately one digit lower than the normative mean; on the Digit Span Backward, cochlear implant users scored approximately half a digit lower than the normative mean. The study found no support for the ideas that auditory or visual working memory predicts speech reception. Our results instead indicate that shorter durations of hearing loss predict good speech reception outcomes, and vice versa.