Abstract：
Spoken language development after pediatric cochlear implantation requires rapid and efficient processing of novel, degraded auditory signals and linguistic information. These demands for rapid adaptation tax the information processing speed ability of children who receive cochlear implants. This study investigated the association of speed of information processing ability with spoken language outcomes after cochlear implantation in prelingually deaf children aged 4-6 years. Two domain-general (visual, non-linguistic) speed of information processing measures were administered to 21 preschool-aged children with cochlear implants and 23 normal-hearing peers. Measures of speech recognition, language (vocabulary and comprehension), nonverbal intelligence, and executive functioning skills were also obtained from each participant. Speed of information processing was positively associated with speech recognition and language skills in preschool-aged children with cochlear implants but not in normal-hearing peers. This association remained significant after controlling for hearing group, age, nonverbal intelligence, and executive functioning skills. These findings are consistent with models suggesting that domain-general, fast-efficient information processing speed underlies adaptation to speech perception and language learning following implantation. Assessment and intervention strategies targeting speed of information processing may provide better understanding and development of speech-language skills after cochlear implantation.
摘要：
儿童人工耳蜗植入后的口语发育需要快速高效的处理,退化的听觉信号和语言信息。这些对快速适应的要求降低了接受人工耳蜗植入的儿童的信息处理速度能力。这项研究调查了4-6岁的语前聋儿童人工耳蜗植入后信息处理能力的速度与口语结果的关系。两个领域-一般(视觉，对21名植入人工耳蜗的学龄前儿童和23名听力正常的同龄人进行了非语言）信息处理速度测量。语音识别的措施，语言（词汇和理解），非语言智力，和执行功能技能也从每个参与者获得。在植入人工耳蜗的学龄前儿童中，信息处理速度与语音识别和语言技能呈正相关，而在听力正常的同龄人中则不相关。在控制听力组后，这种关联仍然显著，年龄,非语言智力，和执行功能技能。这些发现与模型一致，这些模型表明，快速高效的信息处理速度是适应植入后的语音感知和语言学习的基础。以信息处理速度为目标的评估和干预策略可以更好地理解和发展人工耳蜗植入后的语言技能。
