Comparison between pitch discrimination in normal children, children with hearing aids, and children with cochlear implant

Abstract

Background: Cochlear hearing loss causes variations in the way that sounds are represented in the auditory system and for cochlear implant (Cl) users, pitch information that is transmitted to the central nervous system is not ideal. The aim of this study was to compare between pitch discrimination and its associated language development in normal children, children with cochlear implant and children with hearing aids to know which prostheses is more useful to the patient. Materials and methods: The study measured pitch discrimination test, just noticeable difference test and language evaluation in 45 children divided into 3 groups. Results: This study suggested that CI had less pitch discrimination ability but better language development than HA. Conclusions: The benefit that CI users get through better accessibility to high frequencies outweighs the deficit in pitch discrimination.