Greater working memory and speech perception scores in cochlear implant users predict better subjective quality of life and hearing

A common concern in individuals with cochlear implants (CIs) is difficulty following conversations in noisy environments and social settings. The ability to accomplish these listening tasks relies on the individual’s working memory abilities and draws upon limited cognitive resources to accomplish successful listening. For some individuals, allocating too much, can result deficits in speech perception and in long term detriments of quality of life. For this study, 31 CI users and NH controls completed a series of online behavioural tests and quality of life surveys, in order to investigate the relationship between visual and auditory working memory, clinical and behavioural measures of speech perception and quality of life and hearing. Results showed NH individuals were superior on auditory working memory and survey outcomes. In CI users, recall performance on the three working memory span tests declined from visual reading span to auditory listening in quiet and then listening in noise and speech perception was predictably worse when presented with noise maskers. Bilateral users performed better on each task compared to unilateral/HA and unilateral only users and reported better survey outcomes. Correlation analysis revealed that memory recall and speech perception ability were significantly correlated with sections of CIQOL and SSQ surveys along with clinical speech perception scores in CI users. These results confirm that hearing condition can predict working memory and speech perception and that working memory ability and speech perception, in turn, predict quality of life. Importantly, we demonstrate that online testing can be used as a tool to assess hearing, cognition, and quality of life in CI users.