Hearing Preservation and Spatial Hearing Outcomes After Cochlear Implantation in Children With TMPRSS3 Mutations

Objective Investigate hearing preservation and spatial hearing outcomes in children with TMPRSS3 mutations who received bilateral cochlear implantation. Study Design and Methods Longitudinal case series report. Two siblings (ages, 7 and 4 yr) with TMPRSS3 mutations with down-sloping audiograms received sequential bilateral cochlear implantation with hearing preservation with low-frequency acoustic amplification and high-frequency electrical stimulation. Spatial hearing, including speech perception and localization, was assessed at three time points: preoperative, postoperative of first and second cochlear implant (CI). Results Both children showed low-frequency hearing preservation in unaided, acoustic-only audiograms. Both children demonstrated improvements in speech perception in both quiet and noise after CI activations. The emergence of spatial hearing was observed. Each child's overall speech perception and spatial hearing when listening with bilateral CIs were within the range or better than published group data from children with bilateral CIs of other etiology. Conclusion Bilateral cochlear implantation with hearing preservation is a viable option for managing hearing loss for pediatric patients with TMPRSS3 mutations.