Audiology Research最新文献

{"title":"Early Results from a Pressureless Middle Ear Diagnostic and Its Relation to the Types of Tympanometry Results.","authors":"Daniel Polterauer-Neuling, Maike Polterauer-Neuling, Peter Zoth, Carmen Molenda","doi":"10.3390/audiolres16030062","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/audiolres16030062","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background/objectives: </strong>In addition to the clinical gold standard, tympanometry, several alternatives for middle ear diagnostics have evolved over the past decades. With the so-called pressureless acoustic impedance test, the Neuranix Medwave, another device, came into play.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Using a retrospective, anonymous study design, descriptive data were reported, and the correlation between Medwave's results and tympanometry types was evaluated. Also, the correlation between the patients' age and the Medwave resulting parameters was evaluated. We were able to show changes in the measurement results over time in the case of paracentesis and tube insertion.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The analyzed data show that it is possible to differentiate between tympanometry result type A and type B using the Medwave resulting parameter resonance frequency (\"fR\"), but not when using peak admittance (\"P\"). Between all other types, it was not possible to differentiate using the Medwave resulting parameters, nor fR nor P. Due to the low statistical power, this may be due to a type II error. Regarding age, a correlation was found only for the tympanometry result type A. The case over time showed a clear difference in the affected ear between the time before and after the ear surgeries, as well as the contralateral healthy ear.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>While this study indicates the potential use of the PLAI technology, especially as a tool in situations where traditional tympanometry is not feasible, the results need to be interpreted with caution. Further validation with larger and more balanced groups of participants is necessary to confirm these initial findings and to more clearly define the clinical utility of this technology.</p>","PeriodicalId":44133,"journal":{"name":"Audiology Research","volume":"16 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13108138/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147785000","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Is Age-Related Hearing Loss a Modifiable Risk Factor for Cognitive Decline? Mechanisms, Evidence, and Future Directions.","authors":"Giovanni Motta, Giuseppe Tortoriello, Domenico Testa","doi":"10.3390/audiolres16020061","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/audiolres16020061","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Background</b>: Age-related hearing loss (ARHL) is the most common sensory disorder in older adults and has been identified as a potentially modifiable risk factor for cognitive decline and dementia. Increasing evidence suggests that auditory dysfunction may contribute to adverse cognitive trajectories through multiple interacting pathways. This narrative review examines the mechanisms underlying the association between ARHL and cognitive decline, evaluates the impact of hearing rehabilitation, and discusses future research priorities. <b>Methods</b>: A narrative synthesis of epidemiological, neurobiological, and interventional studies was conducted, with emphasis on longitudinal cohort studies, neuroimaging research, and clinical investigations of hearing aids (HAs) and cochlear implants (CIs). <b>Results</b>: ARHL is consistently associated with accelerated cognitive decline and increased dementia risk. Proposed mechanisms include sensory deprivation-related cortical reorganization, increased cognitive load during effortful listening, shared neuropathological processes, and social disengagement. Neuroimaging studies demonstrate structural and functional alterations in auditory and associative brain regions in individuals with hearing loss. Emerging evidence suggests that HA and CI may improve cognitive performance and potentially attenuate decline, although long-term randomized data remain limited. <b>Conclusions</b>: Current evidence supports ARHL as a clinically relevant and potentially modifiable contributor to cognitive decline. Clarifying causal pathways and optimizing early hearing rehabilitation strategies represent key priorities for future dementia prevention research.</p>","PeriodicalId":44133,"journal":{"name":"Audiology Research","volume":"16 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13113544/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147784901","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of Stimulus Complexity on the Phonemic Restoration Effect.","authors":"Nirmal Srinivasan, Sadie O'Neill, Chhayakanta Patro","doi":"10.3390/audiolres16020060","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/audiolres16020060","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Background/Objectives:</b> Phonemic restoration refers to improved speech understanding when periodic silent interruptions are replaced by a plausible masking sound, reflecting an interaction between perceptual continuity and top-down linguistic inference. This study tested whether the magnitude and rate dependence of phonemic restoration vary systematically with stimulus complexity, operationalized using speech materials that differ in response constraints and linguistic variability. <b>Methods:</b> Young adults with normal audiometric thresholds completed an interrupted-speech identification task using five corpora spanning closed-set and open-set speech corpora. Stimuli were periodically interrupted at 2 Hz and 3 Hz with a 50% duty cycle. For each corpus and rate, interruption intervals were either left silent or filled with speech-shaped noise. <b>Results:</b> Closed-set materials yielded higher intelligibility than open-set materials across conditions. Replacing silent gaps with speech-shaped noise improved intelligibility for all corpora. Importantly, the joint influence of interruption rate and gap-filler depended on the stimulus type: rate-by-filler interactions were most evident for the open-set corpora as compared to the closed-set corpora. Keyword identification varied systematically with word position for the open-set materials, indicating nonuniform vulnerability across sentence structures. <b>Conclusions:</b> These results indicate that phonemic restoration is robust but material-dependent. Stimulus complexity shapes how temporal sampling and masking plausibility combine to support perceptual repair, and open-set, high-variability materials are particularly sensitive to these interactions.</p>","PeriodicalId":44133,"journal":{"name":"Audiology Research","volume":"16 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13113333/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147784948","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials Reveal Impairments in Vestibular Nerve Pathways in Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.","authors":"Dekun Gao, Jianyong Chen, Feng Li, Yao Chen","doi":"10.3390/audiolres16020059","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/audiolres16020059","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study aims to analyze the characteristics of vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMPs) and evaluate specific vestibular nerve pathway impairments in children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) compared to typically developing (TD) children.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Forty-five children with ADHD and 34 TD children were recruited. All participants underwent comprehensive acoustic (ACS) and galvanic (GVS) VEMP examinations. To account for within-subject correlation, statistical analyses were performed at the subject level.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Children with ADHD exhibited prolonged P13 and N23 latencies in both ACS-cVEMP and GVS-cVEMP compared to TD children. For oVEMP, the N1 latency of ACS-oVEMP was significantly shorter in the ADHD group, and the interval was prolonged. Additionally, the absolute amplitude of ACS-cVEMP was significantly and markedly higher in children with ADHD.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Children with ADHD exhibit functional abnormalities in both the saccule inferior vestibular nerve pathway (reflected by cVEMP) and the utricle superior vestibular nerve pathway (reflected by oVEMP). These impairments are primarily characterized by altered neural conduction latencies and hyperactive amplitude responses, providing valuable electrophysiological insights into vestibular dysfunction in ADHD.</p>","PeriodicalId":44133,"journal":{"name":"Audiology Research","volume":"16 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13114139/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147784926","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Emerging Speech-in-Noise Tools for the Assessment of Hearing Loss: A Scoping Review.","authors":"Andrea Migliorelli, Marianna Manuelli, Chiara Visentin, Chiara Bianchini, Francesco Stomeo, Stefano Pelucchi, Nicola Prodi, Andrea Ciorba","doi":"10.3390/audiolres16020057","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/audiolres16020057","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Background/Objectives</b>: The objective of this scoping review was to map and critically describe emerging speech-in-noise assessment tools developed over the last decade for the evaluation of hearing loss beyond conventional audiological measures. <b>Methods</b>: This review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. A comprehensive literature search was performed in the PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and Embase databases. A comprehensive review of studies describing novel or emerging SIN-based assessment tools was conducted, with a particular emphasis on those including adult participants with normal hearing and hearing loss. <b>Results</b>: Nine studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review. The identified tools cover a range of methodological innovations, including advanced digits-in-noise paradigms, antiphasic and binaural presentation modes, optimized adaptive procedures, and digital or automated testing platforms. Several studies also incorporated artificial intelligence-based approaches, such as machine learning, text-to-speech, and automatic speech recognition, to enhance test development, administration, and hearing loss classification. Across all studies, SIN measures demonstrated the ability to reliably differentiate between normal hearing listeners and individuals with hearing loss and to provide complementary information beyond pure-tone audiometry. <b>Conclusions</b>: Emerging speech-in-noise tools show considerable potential to improve the functional assessment of hearing loss and to support more sensitive, accessible, and scalable approaches for hearing evaluation. Further research is required to assess their clinical integration and long-term impact on hearing screening and diagnostic pathways.</p>","PeriodicalId":44133,"journal":{"name":"Audiology Research","volume":"16 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13113670/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147784856","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The BPPV-SQ: Development and Clinical Evaluation of a Brief Screening Questionnaire for Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo.","authors":"Giacinto Asprella-Libonati, Fernanda Asprella-Libonati, Marco Familiari, Vito Rizzi, Camilla Gallipoli, Margherita Laguardia, Giuseppe Gagliardi, Anna Guida, Giuseppe Lapacciana, Luca Colella, Giada Cavallaro","doi":"10.3390/audiolres16020058","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/audiolres16020058","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Background</b>: Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is the most common cause of peripheral vertigo and is diagnosed clinically, yet many patients initially present in primary care. Early identification may optimize referral and management. <b>Objective</b>: To perform a pilot Phase 1 validation of the Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo Screening Questionnaire (BPPV-SQ), a brief screening questionnaire designed for future use in general practice (primary care settings where patients are initially evaluated by general practitioners), assessing its ability to identify BPPV, suggest canal involvement, and support progression to Phase 2 validation. <b>Methods</b>: In this prospective observational study, 108 patients with positional vertigo and no neurological signs were evaluated in a specialist setting. The 7-item dichotomous questionnaire (score 0-3 for diagnostic core) was administered prior to bedside examination, which served as the reference standard. <b>Results</b>: Higher questionnaire scores were associated with an increased probability of confirmed BPPV. Among patients with the maximum score of 3, BPPV was confirmed in 73.5% of cases, with a lateralization concordance of 69.4% between questionnaire responses and specialist diagnosis. In contrast, lower scores (0-1) were associated with a markedly lower rate of confirmed BPPV (14.3%). <b>Conclusions</b>: In this pilot Phase 1 validation, the BPPV-SQ demonstrated score-dependent diagnostic reliability and acceptable lateralization agreement in high-score patients, supporting progression to Phase 2 validation in primary care.</p>","PeriodicalId":44133,"journal":{"name":"Audiology Research","volume":"16 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13113622/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147784902","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Longitudinal Correlation of Frequency-to-Place Mismatch and Postoperative Speech Perception Outcomes in Cochlear Implant Recipients: Monosyllable, Consonant, Word, and Sentence.","authors":"Toshihito Sahara, Yujiro Hoshi, Anjin Mori, Hajime Koyama, Yasuhiro Osaki, Waki Nakajima, Takeshi Fujita, Akinori Kashio, Katsumi Doi","doi":"10.3390/audiolres16020056","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/audiolres16020056","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Background/Objectives</b>: Frequency-to-place mismatch between cochlear implant (CI) electrodes and cochlear tonotopy has been suggested to affect postoperative speech perception. This study aimed to examine the associations between frequency-to-place mismatch and speech perception outcomes across multiple linguistic levels in patients with CI and to assess how these associations change over time using postoperative computed tomography. <b>Methods</b>: This retrospective cohort study included 44 postlingually deafened adults who underwent unilateral cochlear implantation with a Flex28 electrode by a single surgeon at a tertiary care hospital. Speech perception was assessed using CI-2004, a Japanese speech perception test consisting of monosyllables, consonants, words, and sentences, in quiet settings at 3, 6, and 12 months after CI activation. Partial correlation analyses between frequency-to-place mismatch and postoperative speech perception scores were performed in 35 of the 44 patients, controlling for age and mean preoperative pure-tone thresholds. <b>Results</b>: Negative associations were observed between frequency-to-place mismatch and CI-2004 scores, particularly for monosyllable and consonant perception in uncorrected analyses. After correction for multiple comparisons, only consonant perception at 3 months after CI activation remained significant (r = -0.52, <i>p</i> = 0.002). Similar patterns were observed for other speech measures and at later time points, although these did not remain significant after correction. <b>Conclusions</b>: Frequency-to-place mismatch was associated with postoperative speech perception outcomes, particularly those involving phoneme-level recognition. After correction for multiple comparisons, only consonant perception at 3 months after CI activation remained significant.</p>","PeriodicalId":44133,"journal":{"name":"Audiology Research","volume":"16 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13114027/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147784943","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Electroacoustic Verification Comparison of AirPods Pro 2nd and 3rd Generations and Traditional Hearing Aids.","authors":"Seeon Kim, Linda Thibodeau","doi":"10.3390/audiolres16020055","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/audiolres16020055","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The recent U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorization of AirPods Pro as over-the-counter hearing aids (HAs) has increased interest in consumer devices as potential alternatives to traditional amplification; however, their electroacoustic performance relative to clinically fitted HAs remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to compare the electroacoustic characteristics and real-ear measures of AirPods Pro 2nd generation (APP2), AirPods Pro 3rd generation (APP3), and a traditional receiver-in-the-canal HA across mild flat, mild-to-moderate sloping, and moderate flat hearing loss configurations.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Outcome measures included 2cc coupler output curves, saturation sound pressure level for a 90 dB input (SSPL90), real-ear speech mapping, maximum power output (MPO), and real-ear-to-coupler differences.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Coupler-based electroacoustic measures showed that APP2 and APP3 produced output comparable to the traditional HA (within 7 dB). SSPL90 outputs were similar for APP2 and APP3, whereas the HA demonstrated profile-dependent increases. In contrast, real-ear measurements demonstrated that both APP2 and APP3 consistently produced less output relative to the HA that was fitted to NAL-NL2 targets, with the largest deviations observed for moderate hearing loss and at higher frequencies (up to 14 dB). Across all configurations, MPO was consistently highest for the HA, with both AirPods devices exhibiting reduced maximum output, especially in speech-critical frequency regions. Real-ear-to-coupler difference findings indicated reduced acoustic coupling for APP3 relative to APP2 and the HA, contributing to reduced in-ear amplification despite comparable coupler outputs.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>While AirPods Pro may offer benefit for mild hearing loss or moderate high-frequency hearing loss, they do not provide output comparable to prescriptively fitted HAs. These findings underscore the continued importance of clinical verification and prescription-based fitting of hearing assistive technology for achieving appropriate audibility across hearing loss configurations.</p>","PeriodicalId":44133,"journal":{"name":"Audiology Research","volume":"16 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13112929/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147784890","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Tuning in: How Hearing Loss and Assistive Devices Reshape Musical Quality of Life.","authors":"Felicity Bleckly, Emilie Francis-Auton, Frances Rapport, Robyn Clay-Williams, Chi Yhun Lo","doi":"10.3390/audiolres16020054","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/audiolres16020054","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background/objectives: </strong>Hearing loss, coupled with the configurations of hearing devices, adds to the complexity of understanding the subjective and personal implications of losing musical fidelity. Hearing music through assistive listening devices significantly impacts music perception and enjoyment, yet research examining music-related quality of life for late-deafened adults is limited. This study aimed to capture late-deafened adults' experiences related to music and quality of life.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The study administered a cross-sectional survey designed around three established questionnaires: Cochlear Implant Quality of Life, Goldsmiths Musical Sophistication Index, and Music Related Quality of Life. It was completed by 116 late-deafened adults (mean age 65.4 years, with an average of 23.1 years of hearing loss). It was hypothesised that the use of different hearing devices would impact music importance, engagement, enjoyment, and related quality of life in disparate ways. To determine if and how quality of life differed between hearing device users, statistical analyses were stratified across a subgroup of 75 participants with bilateral hearing aids (n = 33; musicians n = 18, and non-musicians n = 15), bilateral cochlear implants (n = 21; musicians n = 5, and non-musicians n = 16), and bimodal configurations (n = 21) musicians n = 8, and non-musicians n = 13).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Music remained important for most participants (n = 55, 73%) despite hearing loss. However, regardless of music being valued, only 36 (48%) participants enjoyed music \"Always\" or \"Most of the Time\", while 17 (23%) \"Rarely\" or \"Never\" enjoyed it. Bilateral hearing aid users reported the highest, and bilateral cochlear implant users the lowest quality-of-life scores. These effects extended to participation in real-world musical activities: hearing aid users attended more live music events, while bilateral cochlear implant users experienced the greatest reduction in musical activities compared to other hearing device users.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Musical quality of life is fundamentally about music enjoyment and engagement and how late-deafened adults integrate music into their everyday life. Hearing loss and hearing devices create a profound disconnect between the capacity to enjoy and engage with music. Musicianship did not guarantee better musical enjoyment or engagement. However, musicians demonstrated greater perseverance when enjoyment was limited, in the hope of improvement. Understanding this allows clinicians to develop effective rehabilitation strategies tailored to different hearing devices and musicianship abilities and set realistic expectations.</p>","PeriodicalId":44133,"journal":{"name":"Audiology Research","volume":"16 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13113813/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147784880","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Receptive Vocabulary Outcomes in Children with Cochlear Implants with and Without Additional Difficulties: A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Analysis.","authors":"Beauty Hariz, Latifa Alkoheji, Mariam Alsaeed, Amany Tahon, Shahad Alhammad, Maram Alhedaithy, Sara Ali AlKhamiss, Hasna'a Shathan, Toga Alharbi, Salam Orabi, Sabine El-Deek, Per Cayé-Thomasen, Lone Percy-Smith","doi":"10.3390/audiolres16020053","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/audiolres16020053","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Background/Objectives:</b> Receptive vocabulary is essential for children's language, academic, and cognitive development. While cochlear implants (CIs) help children with severe to profound hearing loss develop spoken language, their vocabulary skills often fall behind their typical hearing (TH) peers, although early implantation and auditory-verbal therapy (AVT) can help narrow this gap. Children with CIs and other developmental difficulties face additional challenges, but can still progress, with outcomes depending on the disabilities' type and severity. Limited research exists on Arabic-speaking children with CIs, where cultural factors may delay intervention, and outcomes vary widely. It remains unclear how well these children develop receptive vocabulary compared to hearing peers and which factors influence their progress. <b>Methodology:</b> A multicenter, cross-sectional study in six GCC hospitals compared 103 children with CIs to a control group of 94 children with TH. Children with CIs were divided into those with and without additional difficulties. Receptive vocabulary was evaluated utilizing the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, Fifth Edition. <b>Results:</b> Children with CIs in the GCC scored lower (mean 89.5; SD = 20.5) than the TH control group (mean 104; SD = 16.8). Children with CIs without additional difficulties (mean 97.7; SD = 18.8) scored similarly to TH, while children with CIs and additional difficulties scored significantly lower (mean 76.7; SD = 15). Age at switch-on and presence of additional difficulties significantly affected receptive vocabulary outcomes. <b>Conclusions:</b> Children with CI who have no additional disabilities can reach receptive vocabulary levels similar to typical hearing peers, while those with extra difficulties show very diverse outcomes and continue to face challenges.</p>","PeriodicalId":44133,"journal":{"name":"Audiology Research","volume":"16 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13113334/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147784937","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}