Speech Perception and Quality-of-Life Outcomes in Mandarin-Speaking Postlingual Deaf Adults With Cochlear Implant: Any Difference With the Intonation Language Users?

Objective: To evaluate the effects of related factors on long-term speech perception and quality-of-life (QoL) outcomes in postlingual deaf Mandarin-speaking adult cochlear implant (CI) recipients and to assess any differences between tone language and other intonation language CI adult users.

Study design: Retrospective cases review.

Setting: Tertiary referral center.

Patients: Forty-five adult CI recipients (48 implanted ears).

Main outcome measures: Post-CI outcomes were evaluated after follow-ups of more than 24 months using speech perception tests and QoL questionnaires. We analyzed the related factors affecting CI outcomes.

Results: A shorter duration of profound deafness was predictive factors for better post-CI speech perception. Earlier implantation and better performance of vowel scores were predictive of better subjective improvements in social and emotional life. Post-CI vowel scores of over 56% indicated promising improvements in QoL.

Conclusion: Shorter duration of deafness could have better post-CI speech perception. Post-CI vowel scores instead of monosyllable words have the more potential to predict the QoL in Mandarin-speaking adult CI recipients.