Speech sensorimotor adaptation in young adult cochlear implant users with early implantation

Precise speech production depends on fine motor control minimizing errors in the produced sound. This control process can be disrupted when sensory signals are degraded, such as in auditory deprivation. In this case, cochlear implants (CIs) may improve speech production and perception provided that implantation is sufficiently early and extensive....

Early cochlear implantation appears to support speech sensorimotor adaptation in young adults, but clinicians should not yet change rehabilitation protocols based on this single study; further work is needed to link these neurophysiological findings to functional speech outcomes.

Understanding how cochlear implant users adapt their speech motor control using auditory feedback informs both implantation timing decisions and the design of speech rehabilitation programs for this population.

1. 01Young adults with early cochlear implantation demonstrate measurable speech sensorimotor adaptation.
2. 02The study examined auditory feedback processing and motor control in CI users.
3. 03Published in Journal of Neurophysiology, indicating a neurophysiological rather than purely clinical focus.
4. 04Findings contribute to understanding long-term benefits of early cochlear implantation on speech systems.
5. 05Implications for speech therapy and CI rehabilitation program design are preliminary at this stage.

PMID

42412119

DOI

10.1152/jn.00207.2026.

Journal

Journal of Neurophysiology

Publication type

research_article

Evidence level

4

Population

Young adults who received cochlear implants during early childhood

Intervention

Assessment of speech sensorimotor adaptation using auditory feedback manipulation