Article Summaries

(Links for sources are in the title) 

Source 1:

Cochlear Implants and Quality of Life: A ProspectiveStudy 

• The objective of this research paper was "To evaluate changes in quality of life, anxiety, and depression after cochlear implantation in adults" (Mo, Lindbaek, Harissa, 2005) 

• The research question of this paper was do cochlear implants improve the individual's quality of life? 

• The main Results of the paper were that, after the surgery, the cochlear implant recipients gained statistically significant improvements in their ability to communicate, as well as had a lessened feeling of isolation and being burdened, and had better relations with friends. 

• The main conclusions of the paper were: the post-lingually deafened adults who had cochlear implants had a statistically significant improvement in their quality of life. Especially a reduction in depression and anxiety. 

• The research method used in this paper was a questionnaire used by 29 patients who answered questions before and after their surgery in order to evaluate their changes related to quality of life. 

• This source is relevant to my topic because it shows the results first had of patients who have gone through the surgery and what they experienced and experience with cochlear implants, relating to their quality of life. It is a relatively recent study that presents accurate data and firsthand results. Additionally, it provides the specific perspective of individuals deafened post-lingually, which is an important factor to consider for the change in their quality of life. This source directly relates to my topic. 

Source 2:Quality of Life Among Cochlear Implant Recipients

• The objective of this paper was to evaluate the past 10 years of research that has examined the effect of cochlear implants on health related quality of life among three age groups of those who received the implants: children, adults, and the elderly.

• The main results and conclusions were that despite the research that has gone into this subject, there is still no reliable pre-surgical predictor of the post-surgical lives for the cochlear implant recipients. All three groups have varying results which proves that no one can pin point one characteristic for each group. Therefore, professionals should provide thorough information and support to their clients who may receive cochlear implants. Additionally, the authors concluded that there were very little studies that took a qualitative or holistic approach at looking at the lives of those with the implants. 

• The research methods used in this paper were reviewing and synthesizing the past 10 years of research on the topic. 

• This source is relevant to my topic because it shows: provides a very holistic view of the topic and data that past studies have produced. It evaluates three important groups of individuals who may get the implant, giving me a lot of viable information for my review. 

Source 3:

Health-related quality of life in children and adolescents who use cochlear implants

• The objectives/research questions of this paper were to evaluate the health-related quality of life of children with cochlear implants. 

• The main results and conclusions were that the youngest group of children reported/scored higher in the health-related quality of life compared to the older group of children. Results also showed that the older were more precise in answering and therefore further development of self-report instruments must be created. 

• The research methods used in this paper were questionnaires, interviews, and self-reports. 

• This source is relevant to my topic because it shows a more specific, direct look at the quality of life for children, one of the three important, relevant categories, with cochlear implantations. 

Source 4:

Cochlear Implantation in Late-Implanted Pre-lingually Deafened Adults: Changes in Quality of Life

• The objective/research question of this paper was to evaluate the health-related quality of life in late-implanted pre-lingually deafened adults 

• The main results and conclusions were that the quality of life increased for the postoperative adults and that the quality of life did not seem to have a significant correlation with speech perception scores. 

• The research methods used in this paper were three different questionnaires for the patients. 

• This source is relevant to my topic because it shows a deeper look at another important category for cochlear implants: adults. It thoroughly discusses the topic and discusses the quality of life throughout the entire paper. 

Source 5:

Quality of Life Outcomes for Cochlear Implantation in the Elderly 

• The objectives/research questions of this paper were to see if those over 60 who receive implantations improve their quality of life. 

• The main results and conclusions were that there was improved hearing and quality of life for the recipients, but there are technological limitations for the older population that should be evaluated. 

• The research methods used in this paper was reviewing recordings of implant users over the age of 60 years. 

• This source is relevant to my topic because it shows the last important age category for cochlear implant recipients: the elderly. The findings are thorough and gives credible evidence for my paper. 

Source 6: 

Psychological general well-being (quality of life) in patients with cochlear implants: Importance of social environment and age

• The objectives/research questions of this paper were to evaluate the psychological well-being of patients with cochlear implants. 
• The main results and conclusions were that the onset or duration of deafness did not seem to effect the quality of life for the individuals who got cochlear implants. 
• The research methods used in this paper was studying/assessing 96 individuals (varying ages) with cochlear implants. 
• This source is relevant to my topic because it shows a somewhat different side to the discussion of quality of life, by looking at the surrounding social environment and age of the individuals, comparing and contrasting them. It relates to my topic as it discusses in great details the psychological quality of life for those who get cochlear implants.