The Journal of International
Advanced Otology
Original Article

A Novel Bone Conduction Hearing System May Improve Memory Function in Children with Single Side Hearing loss: A Case-Control Study

1.

Department of Otolaryngology, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy

2.

Highland Instruments, Cambridge (MA), USA

3.

Otology and Cochlear Implant Unit, Regional Referral Centre Children's Hospital "Santobono-Pausilipon", Naples, Italy

4.

Department of Otology and Neurotology and Head and Neck Surgery, Bnai Zion Medical Center, Haifa, Israel

5.

Department of Otolaryngology, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy

J Int Adv Otol 2020; 16: 158-164
DOI: 10.5152/iao.2020.7941
Read: 1970 Downloads: 1049 Published: 28 July 2020

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effects of an adhesive adapter prosthesis (AAP) on memory function in pediatric subjects with single side hearing loss (SSHL).

MATERIALS and METHODS: Case-control study. 19 pediatric subjects with mild to moderate SSHL treated with AAP and 15 subjects with normal hearing (control group) were included in this study. Working and short-term memory functions were tested in all subjects, in silence and noise conditions. In SSHL subjects, tests were performed before the AAP was applied (T0) and at 1-month (T1) follow-up. The control group was tested once.

RESULTS: AAP significantly improved working memory function in noise as measured at T1 (p<0.01) compared with T0, but T1 scores in children with SSHL remained significantly different from the ones of the control group (p<0.01). AAP also significantly improved short- term memory function test scores at T1 compared with T0 (p<0.01), but despite being in the normal range for the subjects’ age, the scores remained significantly different from those of the control group (p<0.01).

CONCLUSION: In pediatric subjects with mild, moderate, and moderate-severe SSHL, restoration of bilateral hearing through AAP improved short-term memory function and working memory function in noise, as measured at 1 month follow-up; however, AAP did not seem to lead to a full restoration of such functions as measured by a comparison with healthy controls. Further studies with longer follow-ups might help elucidate whether AAP can elicit further improvements in memory functions.

Cite this article as: Di Stadio A, Dipietro L, De Lucia A, Ippolito V, Ishai R, Garofalo S, et al. A Novel Bone Conduction Hearing System May Improve Memory Function in Children with Single Side Hearing loss: A Case-Control Study. J Int Adv Otol 2020; 16(2): 158-64.

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