(1049) Peculiarities of Cochlear Implantation in Children With Seizure Activity

Introduction: This study assesses the functional outcomes (hearing and communication) and long-term quality of life in children aged 0-18 years with active seizure activity (SA) undergoing cochlear implantation (CI). The aim is to contribute to existing literature and address the ongoing controversy surrounding its appropriateness for children with active seizure activity.

Methods: The study, combining retrospective and prospective components, involved a chart review of patients aged 0-18 undergoing cochlear implantation (CI) between 2000 and 2021 at a tertiary care children’s hospital. Data on clinical aspects, imaging findings, pre and postoperative epilepsy patterns, hearing outcomes, and communication skills were collected. Patients with active seizure activity (SA) undergoing cochlear implantation were then matched for sex, age, and degree of hearing loss with those without active SA. The prospective phase included contacting patients for a hearing-related quality of life (QoL) survey, using the HEAR-QL Questionnaires.

Results: Out of 413 charts reviewed, 10 children diagnosed with epilepsy, comprising 5 female patients with a mean age at cochlear implantation of 37 months, were enrolled in the study. All participants exhibited active epilepsy before undergoing a cochlear implant workup. There was no change in the epilepsy pattern. The primary etiology of sensorineural hearing loss was congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV). There were no statistically significant differences observed between the age at profound hearing loss diagnosis and the age at cochlear implantation. Furthermore, there were no discernible disparities in the hearing-related quality of life within the domains of behavior and attention when comparing patients with epilepsy to their matched counterparts. This equivalence extended to areas such as hearing environments, communication, and social interaction.

Conclusions: Our study provides evidence of favorable outcomes and an enhanced quality of life comparable to cochlear implanted peers without associated comorbidities, without adversely affecting their neurological status.