This is an Innovation Seed Fund grant awarded to Dr Demi Gao at the Bionics Institute, Australia, in 2024.
Background
Infants (babies and toddlers) with severe to profound hearing loss are offered cochlear implants to give them access to sound and a sensation of hearing. Their cochlear implants allow them to interact with sound at a crucial period for their development of speech and language skills. The earlier a child receives a cochlear implant, the better their spoken language development will be.
However, it is currently difficult for audiologists to accurately programme cochlear implants for infants as they lack reliable information about how well the child can hear with their implant. For an audiologist to accurately assess whether a child can discriminate between sounds, they need to be old enough to show if they can hear the difference between sounds by performing play tasks.
For very young babies, this is not possible, and so there is a high risk that these infants are not getting the best outcomes from their implant early enough in life and their speech and language development may be hindered as a result.
Aims
In this project, the researchers will use a brain imaging technique called fNIRS to assess hearing in babies. They will use it to collect precise information about the babies’ hearing threshold levels (the quietest sounds they can hear) and highest comfortable loudness levels with their cochlear implants within the first months of their life. The baby-friendly test uses near-infrared light to measure the brain’s response to sound and the tests are performed while the baby sleeps.
Benefit
If successful, the test will enable audiologists to identify hearing issues and tailor cochlear implants for each child accurately from the very start of their life to give them the best possible hearing outcomes.