Impact of Patient Frailty on Speech Recognition and Quality of Life Outcomes in Adult Cochlear Implant Users. 2023

Erick Yuen, and Shaun A Nguyen, and Emily Babb, and Rachel Wilkinson, and Ted A Meyer, and Theodore R McRackan
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC.

OBJECTIVE The process of cochlear implantation (CI) and subsequent post-cochlear implant care is extensive and can be difficult to navigate for patients considered medically frail. This study investigates potential impact of patient frailty on speech recognition and quality of life outcomes after CI. METHODS Retrospective review of a prospectively maintained database. METHODS Tertiary cochlear implant center. METHODS Three hundred seventy adults undergoing CI for traditional bilateral hearing loss indication. METHODS None. METHODS Comparison of pre-CI to 12-month post-CI change in consonant-nucleus-consonant phoneme/words, AzBio sentences in quiet/+10SNR, and Cochlear Implant Quality of Life (CIQOL)-35 Profile domain and global scores based on degree of patient frailty as assessed using the five-factor modified frailty index and Charlson Comorbidity Index. RESULTS The average age at implantation was 65.4 years (±SD, 15.7; 19-94 years). Overall, there were minimal to absent and nonsignificant differences in speech recognition outcomes (consonant-nucleus-consonant phoneme/words, and AzBio sentences +10SNR) based on pre-CI patient frailty. The exception was less improvement in AzBio quiet sentence score in patients noted to be severely frail based on Charlson Comorbidity Index (57.1% vs. 35.2%, d = 0.7 [0.3, 1]). Similar findings were observed for CIQOL-35 Profile domain and global scores where no associations were found other than decreased improvement in the social domain in patients noted to be severely frail (21.7 vs. -0.3, d = 1 [0.4, 1.7]). CONCLUSIONS Although some differences in outcomes were noted based on cochlear implant user frailty, these were small and isolated to only a few outcome measures. Therefore, assuming the patient is medically safe for surgery, preoperative frailty should not dissuade clinicians from recommending CI.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D011788 Quality of Life A generic concept reflecting concern with the modification and enhancement of life attributes, e.g., physical, political, moral, social environment as well as health and disease. HRQOL,Health-Related Quality Of Life,Life Quality,Health Related Quality Of Life
D003054 Cochlear Implants Electronic hearing devices typically used for patients with normal outer and middle ear function, but defective inner ear function. In the COCHLEA, the hair cells (HAIR CELLS, VESTIBULAR) may be absent or damaged but there are residual nerve fibers. The device electrically stimulates the COCHLEAR NERVE to create sound sensation. Auditory Prosthesis,Cochlear Prosthesis,Implants, Cochlear,Auditory Prostheses,Cochlear Implant,Cochlear Prostheses,Implant, Cochlear,Prostheses, Auditory,Prostheses, Cochlear,Prosthesis, Auditory,Prosthesis, Cochlear
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000073496 Frailty A state of increased vulnerability to stressors, following declines in function and reserves across multiple physiologic systems, characterized by MUSCLE WEAKNESS; FATIGUE; slowed motor performance; low physical activity; and unintentional weight loss. Debility,Frailness,Frailty Syndrome,Debilities,Frailties
D000328 Adult A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available. Adults
D000368 Aged A person 65 years of age or older. For a person older than 79 years, AGED, 80 AND OVER is available. Elderly
D013067 Speech Perception The process whereby an utterance is decoded into a representation in terms of linguistic units (sequences of phonetic segments which combine to form lexical and grammatical morphemes). Speech Discrimination,Discrimination, Speech,Perception, Speech
D016896 Treatment Outcome Evaluation undertaken to assess the results or consequences of management and procedures used in combating disease in order to determine the efficacy, effectiveness, safety, and practicability of these interventions in individual cases or series. Rehabilitation Outcome,Treatment Effectiveness,Clinical Effectiveness,Clinical Efficacy,Patient-Relevant Outcome,Treatment Efficacy,Effectiveness, Clinical,Effectiveness, Treatment,Efficacy, Clinical,Efficacy, Treatment,Outcome, Patient-Relevant,Outcome, Rehabilitation,Outcome, Treatment,Outcomes, Patient-Relevant,Patient Relevant Outcome,Patient-Relevant Outcomes
D019929 Cochlear Implantation Surgical insertion of an electronic hearing device (COCHLEAR IMPLANTS) with electrodes to the COCHLEAR NERVE in the inner ear to create sound sensation in patients with residual nerve fibers. Cochlear Prosthesis Implantation,Cochlear Implantations,Cochlear Prosthesis Implantations,Implantation, Cochlear,Implantation, Cochlear Prosthesis,Implantations, Cochlear,Implantations, Cochlear Prosthesis,Prosthesis Implantation, Cochlear,Prosthesis Implantations, Cochlear

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