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Recognizing spoken words in semantically-anomalous sentences: Effects of executive control in early-implanted deaf children with cochlear implants

Objectives To investigate differences in speech, language, and neurocognitive functioning in normal hearing (NH) children and deaf children with cochlear implants (CIs) using anomalous sentences. Anomalous sentences block the use of downstream predictive coding during speech recognition, allowing for investigation of rapid phonological coding and executive functioning. Methods: Extreme groups were extracted from samples of children with CIs and NH peers (ages 9 to 17) based on the 7 highest and 7 lowest scores on the Harvard-Anomalous sentence test (Harvard-A). The four groups were compared on measures of speech, language, and neurocognitive functioning. Results: The 7 highest-scoring CI users and the 7 lowest-scoring NH peers did not differ in Harvard-A scores but did differ significantly on measures of neurocognitive functioning. Compared to low-performing NH peers, highperforming children with CIs had significantly lower nonword repetition scores but higher nonverbal IQ scores, greater verbal WM capacity, and excellent EF skills related to inhibition, shifting attention/mental flexibility and working memory updating. Discussion: High performing deaf children with CIs are able to compensate for their sensory deficits and weaknesses in automatic phonological coding of speech by engaging in a slow effortful mode of information processing involving inhibition, working memory and executive functioning.