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Assessing the Auditory System across Infancy and Childhood: From Ear...
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Assessing the Auditory System across Infancy and Childhood: From Ear Level to Brain

A special issue of Children (ISSN 2227-9067). This special issue belongs to the section "Pediatric Otolaryngology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 November 2024) | Viewed by 7245

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Riki Taitelbaum-Swead

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Department of Communication Disorders, Speech Perception and Listening Effort Lab, in the Name of Prof. Mordechai Himelfarb, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel
2. Medical Division, Meuhedet Health Services, Tel Aviv, Israel
Interests: cochlear implants; speech perception; listening effort; hearing loss
Dr. Shai Chordekar

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Communication Disorder, School of Health Professions, Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv Yaffo, Israel
Interests: bone conduction; otoacoustic emissions; auditory evoked potentials; hearing loss; hearing aids

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Hearing is essential for communication, language development, and social interactions. In infancy and childhood, hearing loss can have a significant impact on a child's development. Over the years, researchers and clinicians have developed various methods to assess hearing function in infants and children, from objective physiological and electrophysiological tests to various behavioural measures. This Special Issue aims to provide an overview of the latest research on assessing the auditory system during infancy and childhood. The focus will be on evaluating the auditory system from the ear level to the brain, including the latest hearing evaluation tests and methods for the hearing and hearing-impaired infant and children populations. This Special Issue will feature cutting-edge research on hearing assessment in infants and children, evaluating the impact of hearing loss on speech and language development, new approaches to hearing screening, auditory processing tests in the diagnosis of hearing disorders, electrophysiological measures to evaluate hearing function, and the relationship between hearing loss and cognitive development. We are soliciting original research articles, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses that address hearing function in infants and children. Manuscripts may focus on hearing screening, diagnostic testing, monitoring hearing loss, and intervention strategies. Papers on any aspect of hearing function in infancy and childhood are welcome.

Dr. Riki Taitelbaum-Swead
Dr. Shai Chordekar
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Children is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • hearing assessment
  • infancy
  • childhood
  • hearing loss
  • speech perception
  • electrophysiological measures
  • auditory processing
  • hearing screening

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

22 pages, 1826 KiB  
Article
Visual Cortical Processing in Children with Early Bilateral Cochlear Implants: A VEP Analysis
by Ola Badarni-Zahalka, Ornella Dakwar-Kawar, Cahtia Adelman, Salma Khoury-Shoufani and Josef Attias
Children 2025, 12(3), 278; https://doi.org/10.3390/children12030278 - 25 Feb 2025
Viewed by 537
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Cochlear implantation is the primary treatment for severe-to-profound hearing loss, yet outcomes vary significantly among recipients. While visual–auditory cross-modal reorganization has been identified as a contributing factor to this variability, its impact in early-implanted children remains unclear. To address this knowledge gap, [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Cochlear implantation is the primary treatment for severe-to-profound hearing loss, yet outcomes vary significantly among recipients. While visual–auditory cross-modal reorganization has been identified as a contributing factor to this variability, its impact in early-implanted children remains unclear. To address this knowledge gap, we investigated visual processing and its relationship with auditory outcomes in children who received early bilateral cochlear implants. Methods: To examine potential cross-modal reorganization, we recorded visual evoked potentials (VEPs) in response to pattern-reversal stimuli in 25 children with cochlear implants (CIs) (mean implantation age: 1.44 years) and 28 age-matched normal-hearing (NH) controls. Analysis focused on both the occipital region of interest (ROI: O1, OZ, and O2 electrode sites) and right temporal ROI, examining VEP components and their correlation with speech perception outcomes. Results: Unlike previous studies in later-implanted children, the overall occipital ROI showed no significant differences between groups. However, the left occipital electrode (O1) revealed reduced P1 amplitudes and delayed N1 latencies in CI users. Importantly, O1 N1 latency negatively correlated with speech-in-noise performance (r = −0.318; p = 0.02). The right temporal region showed no significant differences in VEP N1 between groups and no correlation with speech performance in CI users. Conclusions: Early bilateral cochlear implantation appears to preserve global visual processing, suggesting minimal maladaptive reorganization. However, subtle alterations in left occipital visual processing may influence auditory outcomes, highlighting the importance of early intervention and the complex nature of sensory integration in this population. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Assessing the Auditory System across Infancy and Childhood: From Ear Level to Brain)
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11 pages, 750 KiB  
Article
Contribution of Treatment with Ear Popper for Hearing in Children with Middle Ear Effusion
by Ronit Priner and Ophir Ilan
Children 2024, 11(6), 744; https://doi.org/10.3390/children11060744 - 18 Jun 2024
Viewed by 1128
Abstract
Objectives: we aim to assess the contribution of the EarPopper device to hearing in children with middle ear effusion (MEE). Methods: The study has three parts, including 1. tympanometry and audiometry before and six weeks after using the EarPopper to evaluate the treatment’s [...] Read more.
Objectives: we aim to assess the contribution of the EarPopper device to hearing in children with middle ear effusion (MEE). Methods: The study has three parts, including 1. tympanometry and audiometry before and six weeks after using the EarPopper to evaluate the treatment’s effect over time compared to a control group; 2. tympanometry before and immediately after using the EarPopper to evaluate immediate changes in middle ear pressure (MEP); 3. length of effect 90 min after use to assess pressure fluctuations over time. Results: Part 1 was a follow-up six weeks after using the device, and the patients in the study group that completed the study showed a significant improvement in hearing threshold. The average gain in hearing threshold ranged from 9.1 dB to 14 dB compared to the control group’s max improvement of 1.1 dB. In addition, MEP was significantly improved in the study group, as most Type Bs improved to Type A and C. Part 2 was the tympanometry immediately after using EarPopper and showed the majority of Type Cs turned into Type As. The majority of Type Bs remained unchanged. Part 3 was a follow-up 90 min after use; Type Cs that had improved to Type A demonstrated a decrease in pressure and return to negative pressure. Conclusions: use of the EarPopper device for six weeks is associated with an improved hearing threshold and middle ear status. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Assessing the Auditory System across Infancy and Childhood: From Ear Level to Brain)
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17 pages, 1725 KiB  
Article
Auditory Cortex Maturation and Language Development in Children with Hearing Loss and Additional Disabilities
by Satu Lamminmäki, Kayla Cormier, Hanna Davidson, Jim Grigsby and Anu Sharma
Children 2023, 10(11), 1813; https://doi.org/10.3390/children10111813 - 15 Nov 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3539
Abstract
A significant portion of hearing-impaired children have additional disabilities, but data about the maturation of their auditory cortex are scarce. In these children, behavioral tests are often unreliable, and objective tests are needed for diagnostics and follow-up. This study aimed to explore auditory [...] Read more.
A significant portion of hearing-impaired children have additional disabilities, but data about the maturation of their auditory cortex are scarce. In these children, behavioral tests are often unreliable, and objective tests are needed for diagnostics and follow-up. This study aimed to explore auditory cortical maturation and language development, and the usability of an objective electroencephalogram-based biomarker in children with multiple disabilities. In 65 hearing aid and cochlear implant users (36 females; 36 with multiple disabilities; 44.3 ± 18.5 months of age, mean ± SD), auditory processing was examined using the P1 cortical auditory evoked response biomarker, and language development with the Preschool Language Scales 5th edition (PLS-5). During the study, all of the children received intensive extra language therapy for six months. No significant differences were found between the groups in P1 latency development, the proportion of abnormal P1 latencies, or the number of children whose P1 latencies changed from abnormal to normal during the study. The PLS-5 total language scores, auditory comprehension scores, or expressive communication scores did not differ between groups either. The P1 latencies showed meaningful negative correlations with the language scores. The results suggest that auditory cortex development is similar in hearing-impaired children with/without additional disabilities, and the P1 biomarker is a feasible tool to evaluate central auditory maturation in children with multiple disabilities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Assessing the Auditory System across Infancy and Childhood: From Ear Level to Brain)
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11 pages, 1084 KiB  
Article
The Complexity of Hearing Aid Fitting: Children with Congenital Hearing Loss and Middle Ear Dysfunction
by Ronit Priner and Devora Brand
Children 2023, 10(10), 1630; https://doi.org/10.3390/children10101630 - 30 Sep 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1311
Abstract
Background: The early diagnosis of hearing loss (HL) and hearing rehabilitation facilitate language and communication development. Some children exhibit mixed HL due to middle ear effusion (MEE) or acute otitis media (AOM). Mixed HL can affect HL evaluation and hearing aid (HA) fitting. [...] Read more.
Background: The early diagnosis of hearing loss (HL) and hearing rehabilitation facilitate language and communication development. Some children exhibit mixed HL due to middle ear effusion (MEE) or acute otitis media (AOM). Mixed HL can affect HL evaluation and hearing aid (HA) fitting. The present study retrospectively evaluated the prevalence of MEE/AOM among children with congenital sensorineural HL (SNHL) who were fitted with HAs and its effect on the HA fitting. Methods: Thirty-six HA fittings carried out between 2017 and 2020 at one rehabilitation center were examined. Medical and audiological information was retrieved for children between 6 and 32 months old. The number of appointments and HA fitting times were recorded. Results: Twenty-eight children were included in the study. Eighteen children, in addition to SNHL, had a conductive component resulting from MEE/AOM. The children with these pathologies required significantly more HA fitting sessions and hearing tests, fewer real ear to coupler difference (RECD) measurements and longer HA fitting periods. Conclusion: The findings indicate that a large number of children fitted with HAs have an additional conductive component that makes the fitting process longer. Since early rehabilitation is necessary for language development, otolaryngologists should be aware of the adverse effects of MEE/AOE on the HA fitting process. It is important to inform parents that when there is a conductive component, the HA fitting process may take longer and that treatment by an otolaryngologist is vital. This study stresses the importance of multidisciplinary cooperation for optimal HA fitting. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Assessing the Auditory System across Infancy and Childhood: From Ear Level to Brain)
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