Initial classification of pediatric hearing impairment using behavioral measures of early prelingual auditory development

Abstract

Objective: Determine the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of pediatric hearing loss classification using behavioral evidence of early prelingual auditory development (EPLAD). Validate behavioral measures of EPLAD. Design: EPLAD was assessed in a prospective sample of hearing-impaired children using the infant-toddler meaningful auditory integration scale (ITMAIS/MAIS). Hearing losses were classified using tone-burst auditory brainstem response (ABR) and ITMAIS/MAIS scores. This process was repeated in a second retrospective sample. Study sample: The prospective sample was comprised of 139 hearing-impaired children under five years of age. Approximately equal proportions of mild-moderate, severe, and profound losses were included. The second retrospective sample was comprised of case records for 144 hearing-impaired children meeting the same selection criteria. This sample contained more than 80% profound losses. Results: EPLAD trajectories reached different asymptotes after two years of age, depending on the severity of hearing loss, allowing children over this age to be classified. The sensitivity of EPLAD classifications was over 90%; specificity was over 82%; and accuracy was over 88%. Conclusions: Behavioral evidence of EPLAD provides an initial means of classifying pediatric hearing losses which can facilitate initial treatment options prior to diagnostic evaluation with tone-burst ABR.

Key Words:

• Early prelingual auditory development
• infant-toddler meaningful auditory integration scale
• hearing loss

Acknowledgement

This research was supported by Training Funds of Academic and Technical Leaders in Sichuan Province (Preliminary study of a simple and effective outcome assessment tool for children with hearing loss, Fund Number JH2014002) and Founds of Science & Technology Bureau of Sichuan Province (Early auditory development in children with hearing loss after early intervention, Fund Number 2014JY0237). This research was also supported in part by the House Research Institute, Los Angeles, USA, and West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China. We wish to gratefully acknowledge Yueke Kang and Maoni Li for the data collection in the study. Further we wish to acknowledge the contributions of the families of the pediatric subjects in the study who often traveled large distances to participate in the study. The authors Siyu Liang and Sigfrid D. Soli are common first authors who have contributed equally to this study.

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.