Systematic Review of Duration of Cochlear Implant Use on Speech Perception in the Adult Population

Adults with moderate-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss who obtain little benefit from other forms of amplification are candidates for cochlear implants (Dillon et al., 2013). Adult cochlear implant (CI) recipients have a wide range of outcomes which may result from inherent factors affecting variability (Blamey et al., 2013). Factors affecting cochlear implantation outcomes may include: age at implantation, age at onset of deafness, length of device use, and others. As more factors are studied we may gain insight as to what criterion will strongly impact a CI candidate’s outcomes. (Oh et al., 2009). To measure improvements and outcomes of CI recipients', a variety of speech perception testing is used at routine intervals. Understanding the various interactions of patient factors and outcomes is crucial to predicting success with a CI, as well as, improve our abilities to provide appropriate counseling and set realistic expectations for patients. This systematic review aims to assess current research regarding the specific patient factor of length of time a person has used a CI and how it impacts their speech perception abilities