Cochlear implanted children present vocal parameters within normal standards

Abstract

Objectiveto compare acoustic and perceptual parameters regarding the voice of cochlear implanted children, with normal hearing children. Methodthis is a cross-sectional, quantitative and qualitative study. MethodsThirty six cochlear implanted children aged between 3y and 3m to 5y and 9m and 25 children with normal hearing, aged between 3y and 11m and 6y and 6m, participated in this study. The recordings and the acoustics analysis of the sustained vowel/a/and spontaneous speech were performed using the PRAAT program. The parameters analyzed for the sustained vowel were the mean of the fundamental frequency, jitter, shimmer and harmonic-to-noise ratio (HNR). For the spontaneous speech, the minimum and maximum frequencies and the number of semitones were extracted. The perceptual analysis of the speech material was analyzed using visual-analogical scales of 100 points, composing the aspects related to the overall severity of the vocal deviation, roughness, breathiness, strain, pitch, loudness and resonance deviation, and instability. This last parameter was only analyzed for the sustained vowel. ResultsThe results demonstrated that the majority of the vocal parameters analyzed in the samples of the implanted children disclosed values similar to those obtained by the group of children with normal hearing. Conclusionimplanted children who participate in a (re) habilitation and follow-up program, can present vocal characteristics similar to those vocal characteristics of children with normal hearing.