Speech perception and auditory performance in Finnish adult cochlear implant users

Abstract

Objective This study aimed at investigating the association between speech perception and categories of auditory performance (mCAP) in everyday life for adult cochlear implant users.

Design A prospective repeated measures design over a two-year follow-up period was used.

Methods The speech perception and auditory performance of 19 Finnish-speaking adults were assessed before implantation and 1, 3, 6, 12 and 24 months after switching on the implant. Spearman's rank order correlation coefficients (r_s) were calculated between mCAP and sentence, word, syllable, vowel and consonant recognition. Pearson's product moment correlation coefficients (r) were calculated among the speech perception results.

Results The correlation between mCAP and the speech perception results was high and statistically significant (r_s = 0.81−0.85, p 0.0001), as well as the correlation among the speech perception tests (r = 0.79−0.92, p 0.0001).

Conclusions The speech perception tests used may be considered as good describers of everyday performance of the subjects of this investigation.

Keywords:

• cochlear implantation
• speech perception
• disability
• outcome
• everyday life