Establish up-to-date evidence-based guidelines for recommending cochlear implantation for young children.
Speech perception results for early-implanted children were compared to children using traditional amplification. Equivalent pure-tone average (PTA) hearing loss for cochlear implant (CI) users was established. Language of early-implanted children was assessed over six years and compared to hearing peers.
Seventy-eight children using CIs and 62 children using traditional amplification with hearing losses ranging 25-120 dB HL PTA (speech perception study). Thirty-two children who received a CI before 2.5 years of age (language study).
Speech perception outcomes suggested that children with a PTA greater than 60 dB HL have a 75% chance of benefit over traditional amplification. More conservative criteria applied to the data suggested that children with PTA greater than 82 dB HL have a 95% chance of benefit. Children implanted under 2.5 years with no significant cognitive deficits made normal language progress but retained a delay approximately equal to their age at implantation.
Hearing-impaired children under three years of age may benefit from cochlear implantation if their PTA exceeds 60 dB HL bilaterally. Implantation as young as possible should minimize any language delay resulting from an initial period of auditory deprivation.

Adult selection criteria for cochlear implantation have been developed based on analysis of the post-operative performance of a large group of postlingually deafened adults. Original criteria published in 2004 were reviewed and amended to reflect outcomes currently being achieved by implant recipients.
Retrospective review of 12-month post-operative speech perception performance of adults implanted at the Eye and Ear Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.
A total of 382 postlingually deafened adults, using a Freedom, Nucleus 5, or CI422 Slim Straight cochlear implant were used to create a comparative set of data.
Revised guidelines suggest that adults with postlingual hearing loss can now be considered cochlear implant candidates if they obtain scores of up to 55% for open-set phonemes in quiet in the ear to be implanted. Functional benefit may vary depending on the recipients\' contralateral hearing.
This study supports the provision of cochlear implants to candidates with significant residual hearing when at least one ear meets the criterion outlined above. Patient-specific counseling is required to ensure the potential to benefit predicted by the current model is acceptable to the individual patient and their family. Counseling regarding functional benefit must take into consideration hearing in the contralateral ear.

Adapting the built environment to the needs of nursing- or care-home residents has become common practice. Even though hearing loss due to ageing is a normal occurring biological process, little research has been performed on the effects of room acoustic parameters on the speech intelligibility for older adults. This article presents the results of room acoustic measurements in common rooms for older adults and the effect on speech intelligibility. Perceived speech intelligibility amongst the users of the rooms was also investigated. The results have led to ongoing research at Utrecht University of Applied Sciences and Eindhoven University of Technology, aimed at the development of acoustical guidelines for elderly care facilities.