Acoustic Analysis of Persian Vowels in Cochlear Implant Users: A Comparison With Hearing-impaired Children Using Hearing Aid and Normal-hearing Children

American Cochlear Implant Alliance Task Force Guidelines for Determining Cochlear Implant Candidacy in Children

This article summarizes the available evidence on pediatric cochlear implantation to provide current guidelines for clinical protocols and candidacy recommendations in the United States. Candidacy determination involves specification of audiologic and medical criteria per guidelines of the Food and Drug Administration. However, recommendations for a cochlear implant evaluation also should maintain flexibility and consider a child’s skill progression (i.e., month-for-month progress in speech, language, and auditory development) and quality of life with appropriately fit hearing aids. Moreover, evidence supports medical and clinical decisions based on other factors, including (a) ear-specific performance, which affords inclusion of children with asymmetric hearing loss and single-sided deafness as implant candidates; (b) ear-specific residual hearing, which influences surgical technique and device selection to optimize hearing; and (c) early intervention to minimize negative long-term effects on communication and quality of life related to delayed identification of implant candidacy, later age at implantation, and/or limited commitment to an audiologic rehabilitation program. These evidence-based guidelines for current clinical protocols in determining pediatric cochlear implant candidacy encourage a team-based approach focused on the whole child and the family system.

Voz de crianças e adolescentes deficientes auditivos e pares ouvintes: influência da percepção auditiva da fala na produção vocal

RESUMO Objetivo: Comparar os resultados acústicos e perceptivo-auditivos da voz de crianças e adolescentes deficientes auditivos com pares ouvintes e correlacionar estes resultados com o relato dos pais em relação à percepção auditiva da fala. Método: Os participantes foram divididos em dois grupos: grupo I, 20 crianças e adolescentes deficientes auditivos, e grupo II, 20 crianças e adolescentes ouvintes. Foi realizada análise acústica da vogal /a/ e avaliação perceptivo-uditiva da vogal /a/ e da fala. A percepção auditiva do GI foi avaliada utilizando a Escala de Integração Auditiva Significativa para Crianças Pequenas e a Escala de Integração Auditiva Significativa, com adaptação para participantes adolescentes. Os resultados acústicos e perceptivo-auditivos da voz de GI e GII foram comparados e, para o GI, estes resultados foram correlacionados com o desempenho na percepção auditiva. Resultados: Os grupos I e II apresentaram resultados similares, diferenciando-se estatisticamente nos parâmetros variação da frequência fundamental (vF0) e variação da amplitude (vAm) da vogal /a/ e ressonância da fala. Houve correlação negativa entre o desempenho na percepção auditiva com os parâmetros de jitter, vF0 e grau geral da vogal /a/. Conclusão: A qualidade vocal do GI foi semelhante em praticamente todos os parâmetros vocais analisados a dos seus pares ouvintes (G2). A percepção auditiva influenciou os parâmetros jitter, vF0 e grau geral do impacto da voz, em que crianças e adolescentes deficientes auditivos que apresentaram maiores escores para a percepção auditiva também foram capazes de manter a emissão vocal mais equilibrada.

Vowel production in hearing impaired children: A comparison between normal-hearing, hearing-aided and cochlear-implanted children

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES

Inadequate auditory feedback in prelingually deaf children alters the articulation of consonants and vowels. The purpose of this investigation was to compare vowel production in Spanish-speaking deaf children with cochlear implantation, and with hearing-aids with normal-hearing children by means of acoustic analysis of formant frequencies and vowel space.

METHODS

A total of 56 prelingually deaf children (25 with cochlear implants and 31 wearing hearing-aids) and 47 normal-hearing children participated. The first 2 formants (F1 and F2) of the five Spanish vowels were measured using Praat software. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and post hoc Scheffé test were applied to analyze the differences between the 3 groups. The surface area of the vowel space was also calculated.

RESULTS

The mean value of F1 in all vowels was not significantly different between the 3 groups. For vowels /i/, /o/ and /u/, the mean value of F2 was significantly different between the 2 groups of deaf children and their normal-hearing peers.

CONCLUSION

Both prelingually hearing-impaired groups tended toward subtle deviations in the articulation of vowels that could be analyzed using an objective acoustic analysis programme.

Acoustic and kinematic analyses of Mandarin vowels in speakers with hearing impairment

The central aim of this experiment was to compare acoustic parameters, formant frequencies and vowel space area (VSA), in adolescents with hearing-impaired (HI) and their normal-hearing (NH) peers; for kinematic parameters, the movements of vocal organs, especially the lips, jaw and tongue, during vowel production were analysed. The participants were 12 adolescents with different degrees of hearing impairment. The control group consisted of 12 age-matched NH adolescents. All participants were native Chinese speakers who were asked to produce the Mandarin vowels /a/, /i/ and /u/, with subsequent acoustic and kinematic analysis. There was significant difference between the two groups. Additionally, the HI group produced more exaggerated mouth and less tongue movements in all vowels, compared to their NH peers. Results were discussed regarding possible relationship between acoustic data, articulatory movements and degree of hearing loss to provide an integrative assessment of acoustic and kinematic characteristics of individuals with hearing loss.

The Acoustic Characteristics of the Voice in Cochlear-Implanted Children: A Longitudinal Study

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to characterize changes in the voice and vowel articulation of prelingually deaf children after cochlear implantation.

METHODS

In this study, the patient group included 30 prelingually deaf children who underwent unilateral cochlear implantation at 4-6 years of age. The control group included normally hearing children of the same age. All deaf children had follow-ups before cochlear implantation and at 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 months after implantation. The acoustic parameters, aerodynamic parameters, and vowel formants were measured in the patient group and compared with those of the control group.

RESULTS

All acoustic parameters, aerodynamic parameters, and vowel formants differed significantly between normally hearing children and prelingually deaf children. For prelingually deaf children, all of the above parameters gradually decreased after cochlear implantation. Furthermore, the acoustic parameters Jitter and Shimmer were significantly reduced as early as 6 months, whereas the fundamental frequency, the standard deviation of fundamental frequency, estimated subglottal pressure, aF1, iF2, and uF2 were significantly altered 12 months after implantation. However, statistically significant differences in these parameters were not observed between 12 and 24 months after cochlear implantation.

CONCLUSION

After cochlear implantation, prelingually deaf children established auditory feedback and improved voice control and vowel production.