Cochlear Implant User Affect and Reported Quality of Life

Among adults who use cochlear implants, how do affect and cochlear implant–specific quality-of-life (QOL) scores change over time, and to what extent is affect associated with QOL scores?In this cohort study of 45 patients followed up for 1 year after cochlear implantation, affect improved and QOL scores improved substantially in all domains. The highest regression coefficients were observed in the social, emotional, and entertainment domains, with lower regression coefficients seen between positive affect and the environmental domain.Results of this study suggest that patient affect is associated with cochlear implant QOL scores, but the regression coefficients were low and unlikely to alter clinical interpretation.

Corresponding Author: Theodore R. McRackan, MD, MSCR, Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, 135 Rutledge Avenue, Charleston, SC 20425 (mcrackan@musc.edu).

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