Psychological Predictors of Audiological Outcomes of Multichannel Cochlear Implants: Preliminary Findings

The purpose of this research was to determine whether psychological variables were associated with the variability that characterizes the audiological performance of recipients of multichannel cochlear implants. Twenty-nine consecutive recipients of multichannel implants participated in a preoperative psychological assessment and audiological follow-up assessments after 18 months of implant use. Experimental cognitive measures that assess an ability to rapidly detect and respond to features imbedded in sequentially arrayed information accounted for up to 30% of the variance in implant outcome, suggesting the importance of cognitive abilities in implant outcome. Standardized measures of intellectual ability, however, were not predictive of outcome. The Health Opinion Survey, a measure of participatory engagement, was also a significant predictor of audiological outcome. Overall, the results implicated the importance of several specific psychological factors in the audiological outcome of cochlear implants in postlingually deafened adult recipients.