Cochlear implants in adults over 60: A study of communicative benefits and the impact on quality of life

AbstractObjectivesQuantifying the improvement in quality of life (QoL) of cochlear implant (CI) patients over 60, its relation to audiometric benefits and the subjective impact on specific areas of life.MethodsAn observational retrospective study was conducted on 26 individuals (17 male and 9 female) older than 60, all implanted in our unit between 1 January 1999 and 31 January 2009. And 10 patients (5 male and 5 female) aged between 40 and 60 were the control group. A full postoperative audiological evaluation was completed. Sociodemographic characteristics and history of hearing loss were collected. To evaluate QoL benefits, the Glasgow Benefit Inventory test and the Specific Questionnaire were filled in.ResultsPatients in the test and control groups had similar preoperative speech recognition levels. Preoperative audiometric thresholds were significantly worse in patients from 40 to 60 years of age although they scored better in speech recognition after implantation. Patients experienced significant im...