Investigating the association between pre-implantation cognitive performance and one-year post-implantation speech perception outcomes in adult cochlear implant recipients using the repeatable battery for the assessment of neuropsychological status for hearing impaired individuals (RBANS-H).

OBJECTIVES

This study investigates whether pre-implantation cognitive function, assessed using the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status for Hearing Impaired Individuals (RBANS-H) correlates with speech perception oneyear post-implantation, and whether it can serve as a factor explaining unexpected outcome variability in adult Cochlear implant (CI) recipients.

METHODS

This prospective longitudinal study involved 68 postlingually deaf CI recipients (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05525221). RBANS-H assesses five cognitive domains: Immediate Memory (List Learning and Story Memory), Visuospatial/Constructional (Figure Copy, Line Orientation), Language (Picture Naming, Semantic Fluency), Attention (Digit Span, Coding) and Delayed Memory (List Recall, List Recognition, Story Recall, Figure Recall). RBANS-H and vocabulary tests were conducted pre-implantation. Phoneme scores were derived using Dutch consonant-vowel-consonant words-in-quiet, collected oneyear post-implantation in best-aided condition.

RESULTS

Moderate positive correlations were observed for Coding (r = 0.43, p = 0.007), List Learning (r = 0.39,  = 0.015), Story Recall (r = 0.43, p = 0.019), and Story Memory (r = 0.34, p = 0.030). No significant relationships were found for other tasks, domains, total scores or the vocabulary tests.

DISCUSSION: Correlations of Coding, Immediate Memory and Delayed Memory tasks with speech outcomes highlight the involvement of attention and memory in perceiving speech with CI or acquiring this ability.

CONCLUSION

RBANS-H as a battery may not be sensitive enough to predict outcomes, suggesting the need for a tailored test battery that covers relevant cognitive functions and is sensitive to the specific needs of CI users.