Localization in children with bilateral cochlear implants – Is the ERKI useful in clinical routine for children younger than 4 years?
Objectives
The aim of this pilot study is to examine if the ERKI (Erfassung des Richtungshörens bei Kindern) setup is useful in the clinical routine to test localization abilities in children with cochlear implants younger than four years of age.
Methods
10 children aged 1;5-3;11 were tested at their routinely appointments with the ERKI. Stimuli were presented from five sound sources in the range from -90° to +90° in steps of 45° and were randomly offered to the children. The stimulus was a pink noise with a duration of 300 ms. Each stimulus was repeated three times. After a stimulus, a pointer, which was operated by an audiologist, was moved to the left or the right hemisphere, dependent on the direction of the head or eye movement of the child. During the session the child sat on the lap of the parent. The therapist observed the children´s behaviour. The measurement time lasts approximately 10 minutes.
Results
The ERKI setup needs to be adjusted for the young children. The children are diverted by the lights, which are originally used to re-establish the frontal alignment of the head after each stimulus, so children loose interest in the sound. Without the lights, a visual reinforcement by the therapist and the audiologist and a short story for the children before performing the measurements, the ERKI can be used with the children to measure up their ability to localize a sound source right, left and in front of them.
Conclusion
With a few adjustments the ERKI can be used with children with CI younger than four years of age. To get better results it is advised to use an eye ore head-tracking device.

**Localization in children with bilateral cochlear implants – Is the ERKI useful in clinical routine for children younger than 4 years?**
Objectives
The aim of this pilot study is to examine if the ERKI (Erfassung des Richtungshörens bei Kindern) setup is useful in the clinical routine to test localization abilities in children with cochlear implants younger than four years of age.
Methods
10 children aged 1;5-3;11 were tested at their routinely appointments with the ERKI. Stimuli were presented from five sound sources in the range from -90° to +90° in steps of 45° and were randomly offered to the children. The stimulus was a pink noise with a duration of 300 ms. Each stimulus was repeated three times. After a stimulus, a pointer, which was operated by an audiologist, was moved to the left or the right hemisphere, dependent on the direction of the head or eye movement of the child. During the session the child sat on the lap of the parent. The therapist observed the children´s behaviour. The measurement time lasts approximately 10 minutes.
Results
The ERKI setup needs to be adjusted for the young children. The children are diverted by the lights, which are originally used to re-establish the frontal alignment of the head after each stimulus, so children loose interest in the sound. Without the lights, a visual reinforcement by the therapist and the audiologist and a short story for the children before performing the measurements, the ERKI can be used with the children to measure up their ability to localize a sound source right, left and in front of them.
Conclusion
With a few adjustments the ERKI can be used with children with CI younger than four years of age. To get better results it is advised to use an eye ore head-tracking device.

Localization in Children with Bilateral Cochlear Implants – Is the ERKI useful in clinical routine for children younger than 4 years?

It is with great pleasure and enthusiasm, that on behalf of the Cochlear Implant centers of the Radboud UMC in Nijmegen and Erasmus MC Sophia Children’s Hospital in Rotterdam to invite you to attend the 16th European Symposium on Pediatric Cochlear Implantation to Rotterdam, the Netherlands in 2023.

Yours sincerely, on behalf of the CI Centers at Radboud UMC and Erasmus MC,