REVIEW article
Front. Neurosci.
Sec. Auditory Cognitive Neuroscience
Volume 19 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fnins.2025.1636354
This article is part of the Research TopicFactors Impacting Speech Perception Outcomes in Older Cochlear Implant UsersView all articles
Psychosocial factors associated with speech perception in older adult cochlear implant users: a scoping review
Provisionally accepted
- MED-EL (Austria), Innsbruck, Austria
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Background The population of older adults (OAs) is significantly increasing, and with that is the reality of OAs having hearing loss (HL). Although there is no hearing screening for adults, some OAs do consult their audiologist or otologist and receive a cochlear implant (CI). There are several studies showing that CI surgery in OAs is safe, and post-CI speech perception is similar to younger adults. However, there is little knowledge about what psychosocial factors may be associated with speech perception outcomes in OAs. The objective of this scoping review is to address these open questions. Methods This scoping review was conducted in line with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. PubMed and the Cochrane Library were searched for studies in English and German published between Jan 2020 and Jan 2025 reporting on psychosocial factors relating to speech perception outcomes in OAs with CIs. Results 6/94 studies met the inclusion criteria. The 6 included publications considered the associations of quality of life, frailty, depression, and family support on speech perception in OAs with CIs. The association between these factors and sound perception was variable. Conclusion Although CIs are not uncommon as a treatment for HL in OAs, few studies have addressed the associations of psychosocial factors with speech perception in this population, or vice versa. More research needs to be conducted to determine these psychosocial factors and their impact on speech perception to better care for OAs with CIs.
Keywords: Older adult1, social performance2, loneliness3, quality of life4, significant other5, family support6, caregiver burden7
Received: 27 May 2025; Accepted: 15 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Anderson, Angerer-Klaunzer and Opie. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Ilona Anderson, MED-EL (Austria), Innsbruck, Austria
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