Deafness 'must be treated early'

[Miss-Delectable]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/li...ews.html?in_article_id=370324&in_page_id=1797

Cochlear implants could restore hearing to children who are born deaf by triggering the reconnection of sound-transmitting nerves, a new study suggests.
The findings may help explain why the implants are up to 80% successful in young children who have been unable to hear since birth. In contrast, the devices rarely restore hearing when implanted in congenitally deaf adults.

Cochlear implants are tiny devices designed to mimic the snail-like structure in the inner ear, which contains fluid-filled canals and tissues. It is here that sound vibrations are picked up by the ear drum and translated into electrical signals, which are transmitted through nerve fibres to the brain.

Cochlear implants are much more complicated than hearing aids, which merely amplify sound. The devices pick up sounds with an external microphone and transmit them as electrical signals to a receiver that is directly attached to the brain.

US scientists at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Hearing and Balance in Baltimore, Maryland, found evidence that in young children cochlear implants can reverse hearing loss. They do this by forging normal nerve connections that have failed to develop.

The procedure is only likely to work on young children whose brains and auditory systems are still developing.

The findings were reported in the journal Science.

Professor David Ryugo, who led the research, said: "What we think this study tells parents of deaf children is that, if cochlear implants are being considered, the earlier they're done the better.

"There is an optimal time window for implants, if they are to avoid permanent rewiring of hearing stations in the brain and the long-term effects on language learning that can result."

 

[deafdyke]

Early implantation is good, but on the other hand it does seem like some of the experts make it seem like if a kid isn't implanted the second they are dx, they don't do as well. Also has there been more intensive analysation of the data? "Hearing and talking sucess" for implantees might be b/c of higher socio-economical trends, or the fact that they come from families where hyperprogramming (ie toys to increase their SAT scores) is the norm.

 

[sr171soars]

There are issues when is the best time to do implantation on children. If I understand correctly, they go as early as 1 year or so on up. I thought I heard that after seven years is when things get dicy from the success standpoint. This can be a tough subject (due to fact we are talking children here and their parents).

Please note that socio-economic levels (have and have nots) have been used to explain bad breath and everything else From 10,000 ft, that is a reasonable generalization but at 500 ft up it doesn't always hold up.

 

[signer16]

The one thing that the article doesn't mention is that CI's do NOT make people fully hearing, no matter when they are implant. The cochlea has 200,00 hairs to pick up sound in the ear of a "normal" hearing person, the best CI I've heard about has 24 (it may be higher than that, but nothing near 200,000). I'm getting more and more frustrated hearing about this CI miracle thing. I've never liked it, but the more I hear.... I don't know, maybe deafdyke is rubbing off on me.

 

[deafdyke]

lol......I try! It does not restore hearing.....it makes a kid functionally hoh, which is COMPLETLY different from being "fully hearing".....I mean I have noticed that the language has changed slowly but surely from "YAY! Deaf kids can HEAR! It's a miricle Praise da Lord! "
Sr17soars...... well in this case it's probaly true. Parents with high socioecnomic status can access good quality health care , private therapists, best schools etc.....whereas poor folks generally don't have access to those sorts of things.
Also, early implantation is good. Nobody is really advocating waiting til the child is seven. That's dumb.....awww shit, I gotta run or I'm gonna miss the bus!