Validation of the Persian version of the LittlEARS® auditory questionnaire for assessment of auditory development in children with normal hearing

[The LittlEARS® Auditory Questionnaire : An analysis of multicentre data of children after early bilateral cochlear implant placement]

BACKGROUND

In order to optimise the support of children with cochlear implants (CI), it is very important to detect slow developmental processes as early as possible. Data from the LittlEARS® Auditory Questionnaire (LEAQ) from children with early bilateral CI are evaluated and presented in relation to age and hearing age and compared with language development data recorded later.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This retrospective multicentre study included data from a total of 554 children for whom at least one LEAQ was completed during the course of CI rehabilitation. Children without additional disabilities who received bilateral simultaneous or sequential CI treatment were included.

RESULTS

As expected, there are high correlations between hearing age (HA) and the overall LEAQ total score. When analysed according to chronological age (CA), development runs roughly parallel to the development of children with normal hearing, albeit at a lower level. Children implanted early up to an age of ≤ 12 months consistently achieve approximately 7-8 raw points more. Only the LEAQ results of the later test times (from the age of 18 months) correlate with some areas of the speech development test for children (SETK; areas 3-5).

CONCLUSION

The earliest possible detection of critical developmental processes in children with CI is extremely important. In the case of very early CI fitting, the CA should be used as a reference measure in diagnostics. The LEAQ values determined for the group of children with CI are suitable to a limited extent as generally valid reference values for children with early bilateral CI. Further studies should continue to work out the correlations between early preverbal development and later speech development.

Long-Term Device Satisfaction and Safety after Cochlear Implantation in Children

(1) Objectives: For full benefit in children implanted with a cochlear implant (CI), wearing the device all waking hours is necessary. This study focuses on the relationship between daily use and audiological outcomes, with the hypothesis that frequent daily device use coincides with high device satisfaction resulting in better functional gain (FG). Confounding factors such as implantation age, device experience and type of device were considered. (2) Results: Thirty-eight CI children (65 ears) were investigated. In total, 76.92% of the children were using their device for >12 h per day (h/d), 18.46% for 9−12 h/d, the remaining for 6−9 h/d and one subject reported 3 h/d. The revision rate up to the 90-month follow-up (F/U) was 4.6%. The mean FG was 59.00 ± 7.67 dB. The Audio Processor Satisfaction Questionnaire (APSQ) separated for single unit (SU) versus behind the ear (BTE) devices showed significantly better results for the latter in terms of wearing comfort (WC) (p = 0.00062). A correlation between device use and FG was found with a device experience of <2 years (n = 29; r2 = 0.398), whereas no correlation was seen with ≥2 years of device experience (n = 36; r2 = 0.0038). (3) Conclusion: This study found significant relationships between daily device use and FG, wearing comfort and long-term safety (90 months).

Validation of the LittlEARS® Questionnaire in Hearing Maltese-Speaking Children

Objectives: To adapt the LittlEARS^® Auditory Questionnaire into the Maltese language and evaluate the psychometric properties of the Maltese version of the questionnaire for hearing children. Methods: The English version of LittlEARS^® Auditory Questionnaire was adapted into Maltese using a translation/back translation procedure. In this cross-sectional study, a total of 398 parents of normal hearing children aged between 5 days and 36 months completed the Maltese version of LittlEARS^®. Psychometric validation was performed through scale analysis, item analysis, and analysis of reliability and validity. A non-linear regression model was derived to obtain normative data for expected and minimum values of total scores from the questionnaire according to age. Results: Predictive accuracy (Guttman’s lambda) was 0.921, the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient value was 0.921, and the split-half reliability coefficient was 0.949. The Pearson correlation coefficient between scores and age was 0.903. The regression analysis showed that 82% of the variance in the total scores can be explained by age. Norm curves were comparable to the original German data. Conclusion: This study confirmed that the Maltese version of LittlEARS^® is a valid and reliable tool to evaluate auditory development in children less than two years of age.

Translation and validation of the LittlEars auditory questionnaire in Kannada

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the study was to translate and validate the LittlEARS Auditory Questionnaire (LEAQ) in Kannada.

METHOD

The translation procedure followed a traditional translation, back translation, and content validity process before administering. The finalized version was administered on 87 children with 67 normal hearing children and 20 hearing-impaired children.

RESULTS

The tool had good internal consistency, good reliability, and a norm curve could be established. The Cronbach alpha value for item correlation ranged from 0.26 to 0.79. A significant difference was found between normal hearing individuals and hearing impaired.

CONCLUSION

The LEAQ tool has been translated and validated for the Kannada speaking population and can be used as a screening tool for children up to two years of age and as a subjective outcome measuring tool for hearing aid and Cochlear Implant user.