Abstract
The present investigation tested whether there is cross-interference between current electromagnetic articulography (EMA) and cochlear implants (CIs). In an initial experiment, we calibrated EMA sensors with and without a CI present in the EMA field, and measured impedances of all CI electrodes when in and out of the EMA field. In a subsequent experiment, head reference sensor positions were recorded during a speaking task for a normal-hearing talker with and without a CI present in the EMA field. Results revealed minimal interference between the devices, suggesting that EMA is a promising method for assessing speech motor skills in CI users.
Highlights
Auditory input is essential to the acquisition and maintenance of speech production skills
Since cochlear implants (CIs) became the standard of care, scarce data have been collected on the speech production patterns of individuals with severe-to-profound HL—especially those with congenital HL
We found little to no evidence of cross-interference between electromagnetic articulography (EMA) and CIs, and there appears to be no need to develop methods to eliminate interference signals
Summary
Auditory input is essential to the acquisition and maintenance of speech production skills. One method that fits the bill is electromagnetic articulography (EMA) (Perkell et al, 1992; Rebernik et al, 2021), but to date no one has shown that current EMA technology can be validly and reliably used with CI wearers Given that both CIs and EMA make use of magnetic fields, concerns of possible cross-interference exist [see, e.g., Katz et al (2003) and Rebernik et al (2021)]. Those concerns must be addressed if we are to refine our investigations, and further our understanding of the development and maintenance of speech production skills in deaf individuals
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