Influence of Cochlear Implantation on postural control and risk of falls

Objective:

Hearing rehabilitation with a Cochlear Implant (CI) allows better speech understanding in noise and probably better acoustic spatial orientation. Aim of this study was to analyze the effect of hearing rehabilitation with activated CI and different sound inputs (music, speech text, white noise) on postural control and risk of falls after implantation.

Patients and Methods:

In a prospective clinical study 33 adult patients with at least 10 months of use of a CI (mean time after implantation 23 months) were included. All patients were tested using a mobile posturography system in different situations (CI deactivated/activated and different sound inputs). The risk of falls (%) after each protocol was calculated from the body sway both forward-to-backward and side-to-side in degrees per second.

Results:

With deactivated CI the mean risk of falls was 45.5%. With activation of the CI there was a significant decrease in risk of falls with 43.3% (p < 0.05). Using the sound inputs music and speech text this decrease was even more significant with 42.0% and 42.4%, respectively. In the subgroup of patients > 60 years, this reduction was more accentuated from 46.8% (activated CI in quite) to 44.4% (activated CI with music).

Conclusion:

The use of CI and acoustic stimulation has a highly positive effect on postural control, leading to a decrease of risk of falls. Particularly in older patients this effect seems to be more pronounced. These findings reassure the need for optimal hearing rehabilitation, especially in elderly patients.

Publication History

Publication Date:
23 April 2019 (online)