Science Magazine Podcast Why sign language could be crucial for kids with cochlear implants, studying the illusion of pain, and recent political developments at NIH
Mar 13, 2025
This week features Jocelyn Kaiser, a science policy editor focusing on the NIH, Kathleen O'Grady, who reports on the science-society intersection, and Francesca Fardo, a pain perception researcher. They discuss how using sign language can significantly benefit children with cochlear implants, ensuring better communication. They also explore important NIH funding changes and delve into a fascinating study on how uncertainty affects pain perception, revealing that greater uncertainty can lead to more intense pain experiences.
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Cochlear Implants Provide Degraded Sound
- Cochlear implants provide access to sound but the quality is degraded compared to biological hearing.
- People perceive sound through implants very differently, making programming difficult, especially for young children.
Challenges Testing Cochlear Implant Success
- Determining if cochlear implants are properly programmed is difficult, especially for babies who can't verbalize.
- Delays in language development often lead to misdiagnoses like autism or parental blame rather than implant issues.
Therapy Often Discourages Sign Language
- Auditory verbal therapy encourages children to rely on sound only by covering mouths while speaking.
- This therapy often discourages using sign language to avoid confusing the child’s language input.