Cortical auditory evoked potentials (P1 latency) in children with cochlear implants in relation to clinical language tests.

Objective - To study the correlation between P1 latency and the results of clinical language tests (Reynell III and TROG-2), the latter were used as they are recommended for follow-up assessments of children with cochlear implants (Cis) by the Swedish National Quality Register for children with hearing impairment. Design - A clinical cohort study. Study sample - Cross-sectional and consecutive sampling of 49 children with CIs coming for clinical follow-up assessment from March 2017 - December 2019. Results - For all children tested, there was a significant negative correlation (Spearman's rho= -0.403, p  = 0.011) between hearing age and P1 latency. A significant correlation between P1 latency and the Reynell III result (Spearman's rho =  -0.810, p  = 0.015) was found. In the TROG-2 group, there was no significant correlation between their P1 latency and their language test results (Spearman's rho -0.239, p  = 0.196). Conclusion - This method seems to be feasible and easily accepted. The study was conducted in a heterogeneous group of children that we meet daily in our clinic. The results indicated that P1 latency has a negative correlation with language development among our youngest patients fitted with CIs and might be a clinical tool to assess the maturation of central auditory pathways.