The effects of cochlear implants on sequential time perception

Abstract

ABSTRACT The study aimed to improve sequential time perception among deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) children with and without cochlear implants (CIs) by administering an intervention programme using virtual-reality (VR) technology. The study included 55 children 7–10 years old who were divided into 3 groups: DHH children with CIs, DHH children without CIs, and a control group of typically-hearing children. Pre- and post- the intervention (8 weekly individual meetings), participants completed a sequential time measure. Results indicated that at pre-intervention, DHH children demonstrated less sequential time perception compared to typically-hearing children. Following the intervention, both research groups demonstrated significant improvement in sequential time perception. However, the improvement was much more significant in the group of children without CIs. Moreover, DHH children who received implants after the age of language acquisition (postlingually) showed a greater improvement in this measure compared to children who received implants prior to the age of language acquisition (prelingually).