Speech Perception and Speech Production Skills of Children with Multichannel Cochlear Implants

Abstract

The acquisition of speech perception and speech production skills emerges over a protracted time course in congenitally deaf children with multichannel cochlear implants (CI). Only through comprehensive, longitudinal studies can the full impact of cochlear implantation be assessed. In this study, the performance of CI users was examined longitudinally on a battery of speech perception measures and compared with subjects with profound hearing loss who used conventional hearing aids (HA). The average performance of the multichannel cochlear implant users gradually increased over time and continued to improve even after 5 years of CI use. Speech intelligibility was assessed from recordings of the subjects' elicited speech and played to panels of listeners. Intelligibility was scored in terms of percentage of words correctly understood. The average scores for subjects who had used their CI for 4 years or more exceeded 40%.

Speech Intelligibility of Pediatric Cochlear Implant Recipients With 7 Years of Device Experience

“…Inexperienced listeners were able to understand approximately 68% (first listening) to 72% (second listening) of the words spoken by the pediatric CI recipients. The present CI participants, with 7 years of device experience, demonstrated improved speech intelligibility over previous reports (e.g., Chin et al, 2003;Miyamoto et al, 1996;Osberger et al, 1994;Tobey et al, 2003;Tye-Murray et al, 1995). Specifically, half of the CI participants (n = 12) achieved an 85% write-down intelligibility, and 8 of them exceeded 90% in both listening conditions.…”

“…This suggestion was further supported by Miyamoto et al (1996), who examined speech intelligibility in pediatric CI recipients by deriving the percentage of accurately identified words by panels of listeners. Average intelligibility of the individuals with 4 years of device experience exceeded 40%.…”

“…A substantial number of studies have demonstrated that the use of CIs can facilitate the development of speech and language skills of children who are prelingually deaf (born deaf or become deaf before age 3; e.g., Blamey, Barry, & Jacq, 2001;Geers & Tobey, 1995;Serry & Blamey, 1999;Serry, Blamey, & Grogan, 1997;Spencer, Tye-Murray, & Tomblin, 1998;Svirsky, Robbins, Kirk, Pisoni, & Miyamoto, 2000;Tobey, Geers, Brenner, Altuna, & Gabbert, 2003;Tomblin, Spencer, Flock, Tyler, & Gantz, 1999;Tye-Murray & Kirk, 1993;Tye-Murray, Spencer, & Woodworth, 1995). Some investigators have also studied postimplant speech development by applying speech intelligibility measures (e.g., Chin, Finnegan, & Chung, 2001;Chin, Tsai, & Gao, 2003;Miyamoto, Kirk, Robbins, Todd, & Riley, 1996;Moog & Geers, 1999;Osberger, Robbins, Todd, & Riley, 1994;Svirsky & Chin, 2000;Tobey et al, 2003;Tobey & Hasenstab, 1991). The term "speech intelligibility" refers to the degree to which a speaker's intended message can be recovered by other listeners (Bunton, Kent, Kent, & Duffy, 2001).…”

Assessment of Speech Development in Children with Cochlear Implants in Republic of Macedonia Using Monosyllabic-Troche-Polysyllabic Test (Closed-Set)

“…Dowell et al analyzed cochlear implant value in speech production and detected improvement in speech perception in relation to the length of time [15][16][17].…”

Cochlear Implantation in Deaf Children

“…This is in contrast with profoundly deaf children who use conventional hearing aids, as they show plateau scores. 3,8 Miyamoto et al 26 compared the results of matched groups of CI users and hearing aid users. They showed that the mean score on speech perception tests 2.5 years after implantation was obviously better than the average score of children with conventional hearing aids with a hearing loss between 90 and 100 dB HL.…”