A comparison of the perceptual evaluation of speech production between bilaterally implanted children, unilaterally implanted children, children using hearing aids, and normal-hearing children

Abstract

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the perceptual evaluation of several speech characteristics between bilaterally implanted children (biCI), unilaterally implanted children (uniCI), children using hearing aids (HA), and normal-hearing children (NH). Design: Perceptual evaluations of intelligibility, phonation, resonance, and articulation were compared between the several subgroups. Study sample: Thirteen biCI children, 14 uniCI children, 10 HA children using hearing aids and 11 NH children participated. Results: The biCI children did not show statistically significant differences with the NH children for overall intelligibility, phonation, and resonance. Yet, significantly more distortions and consonant cluster reductions were observed in the biCI children compared with the NH children. In comparison with the uniCI and HA children, the NH as well as the biCI children obtained better evaluations for intelligibility, phonation, resonance, and articulation of consonants. Conclusions: The results of this study demonstrated a possible additional beneficial effect of bilateral implantation on several speech characteristics of prelingually deaf children and as a consequence highlighted the interest of further research.

Sumario

Objetivo: El propósito de este estudio fue comparar la evaluación perceptual de algunas características del habla entre niños implantados bilateralmente (biCI), niños implantados unilateralmente (uniCI), niños usuarios de auxiliares auditivos (HA) y niños con audición normal (NH). Diseño: Se compararon las evaluaciones perceptuales de inteligibilidad, fonación, resonancia y articulación entre los subgrupos. Muestra de estudio: 13 niños biCI, 14 niños uniCI, 10 niños HA y 11 niños NH. Resultados: Los niños biCI no mostraron diferencias estadísticamente significativas globales con los niños NH para la inteligibilidad, la fonación y la resonancia. No obstante, se observaron más distorsiones y reducciones de grupos de consonantes en los niños biCI, comparados con los niños NH. En comparación con los niños uniCI y los niños HA, los niños NH así como los niños biCI obtuvieron mejores evaluaciones para inteligibilidad, fonación, resonancia y articulación de consonantes. Conclusiones: Los resultados de este estudio demostraron un posible efecto benéfico adicional de la implantación bilateral en algunas características del habla de niños sordos prelingüísticos y como consecuencia, resaltan el interés de investigaciones adicionales.

Key Words::

• Speech production
• prelingually deaf children
• cochlear implants
• hearing aids
• bilateral implantation

Acknowledgments

The first author is an FWO aspirant funded by the Research Foundation – Flanders. The authors wish to express their deep appreciation to the hearing-impaired subjects who spent their time and effort for this research. We gratefully thank the contribution of the speech and language pathologists of the rehabilitation centres Sint-Lievenspoort Ghent and Overleie Kortrijk, and the schools Spermalie Bruges and Kids Hasselt. Thanks to Marion Vanaelst and An Vandenberghe for the assistance with testing, Birgit Philips for her advice and help, and Eddy De Vel for his linguistic contribution.

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.