Ertmer D J, Kirk K I, Sehgal S T, Riley A I, Osberger M J
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, USA.
Ear Hear. 1997 Aug;18(4):307-15. doi: 10.1097/00003446-199708000-00005.
To examine changes in perceived vowel production accuracy over time in prelingually deafened children who use a multichannel cochlear implant (Nucleus 22 channel) or a multichannel tactile aid (Tactaid 7) and to compare the levels of perceived vowel production accuracy attained by the two device groups.
The subjects were participants in longitudinal studies of the effects of sensory aids on the development of perceptual, speech, and language skills. As part of these studies, imitative vowel productions were elicited and transcribed before each child received their sensory aid and at 6 mo intervals thereafter. Data for the current study was obtained from the predevice interval and a later interval (postdevice) that was an average of 1.8 yr after the subjects received their respective devices. The subjects' vowel productions were judged for accuracy in matching an imitative model and for correctness of vowel features (height and place). Within-group analyses were completed to determine if vowel production scores improved over the course of the study for each device group. Between group comparisons were performed to examine differences in mean scores at each interval.
Before receiving their multichannel devices, the two groups of subjects demonstrated similar imitative vowel production skills. After an average of 1.8 yr of device use, the cochlear implant subjects demonstrated significantly improved production of diphthongs and all vowel categories except low vowels. The Tactaid 7 subjects demonstrated significant improvement only in the production of diphthongs. Thus, cochlear implant recipients' vowel production skills were found to be significantly better than those of the Tactaid 7 users after a comparable amount of device experience.
The vowel production gains of the cochlear implant subjects were similar in amount to those noted in other studies of children who use the Nucleus multichannel cochlear implant and further confirm the potential of this device for improved speech production in prelingually deafened children. The differences between the performance of the two groups demonstrate that vowel production skills improved to a greater degree through use of a multichannel cochlear implant than through use of the Tactaid 7.
研究使用多通道人工耳蜗（Nucleus 22通道）或多通道触觉辅助装置（Tactaid 7）的语前聋儿童在一段时间内元音发音准确性的变化，并比较两组装置使用者的元音发音准确程度。
受试者参与了关于感官辅助装置对感知、言语和语言技能发展影响的纵向研究。作为这些研究的一部分，在每个儿童接受感官辅助装置之前以及之后每隔6个月引出并记录模仿元音发音。本研究的数据取自装置使用前阶段以及受试者接受各自装置平均1.8年后的后期阶段（装置使用后）。根据与模仿模型的匹配情况以及元音特征（高度和位置）的正确性来判断受试者的元音发音准确性。完成组内分析以确定每个装置组在研究过程中元音发音得分是否有所提高。进行组间比较以检验每个阶段平均得分的差异。
在接受多通道装置之前，两组受试者的模仿元音发音技能相似。在平均使用装置1.8年后，人工耳蜗使用者除低元音外的双元音和所有元音类别的发音有显著改善。Tactaid 7使用者仅在双元音发音方面有显著改善。因此，在经历相当的装置使用时间后，发现人工耳蜗使用者的元音发音技能明显优于Tactaid 7使用者。
人工耳蜗使用者在元音发音方面的进步幅度与其他使用Nucleus多通道人工耳蜗的儿童研究中所指出的相似，并进一步证实了该装置在改善语前聋儿童语音发音方面的潜力。两组表现的差异表明，与使用Tactaid 7相比，使用多通道人工耳蜗能使元音发音技能有更大程度的提高。
