Early Expressive Language Skills Predict Long-Term Neurocognitive Outcomes in Cochlear Implant Users: Evidence from the MacArthur–Bates Communicative Development Inventories

Abstract

Purpose The objective of the present article was to document the extent to which early expressive language skills (measured using the MacArthur–Bates Communicative Development Inventories [CDI; Fenson et al., 2006]) predict long-term neurocognitive outcomes in a sample of early-implanted prelingually deaf cochlear implant (CI) users. Method The CDI was used to index the early expressive language skills of 32 pediatric CI users after an average of 1.03 years ( SD = 0.56, range = 0.39–2.17) of CI experience. Long-term neurocognitive outcomes were assessed after an average of 11.32 ( SD = 2.54, range = 7.08–16.52) years of CI experience. Measures of long-term neurocognitive outcomes were derived from gold-standard performance-based and questionnaire-based assessments of language, executive functioning, and academic skills. Result Analyses revealed that early expressive language skills, collected on average 1.03 years post cochlear implantation, predicted long-term language, executive functioning, and academic skills up to 16 years later. Conclusion These findings suggest that early expressive language skills, as indexed by the CDI, are clinically relevant for identifying CI users who may be at high risk for long-term neurocognitive delays and disturbances.