Use of Electropalatography to Improve Speech Sound Production

The Use of Electropalatography to Improve Speech Sound Production in Deaf Adults With Cochlear Implants

The purpose of this proposed study is to examine the benefits of using electropalatography (EPG) during speech therapy with adult individuals who are either congenitally deaf or adventitiously deaf and use a cochlear implant.

It has been established in numerous research studies that there is a definitive link between speech perception and speech production, in that what one can perceive, one can produce. Hearing loss disrupts this link and while cochlear implants make a significant difference in perception of sound, adults who are deaf and receive a cochlear implant (CI) do not gain the same perceptual benefits as children who are deaf and are implanted at a young age. Thus, the speech production of the adult CI user is reported to be less intelligible. The purpose of this proposed study is to examine the benefits of using electropalatography (EPG) during speech therapy with adult individuals who are either congenitally deaf or adventitiously deaf and use a cochlear implant. The investigators have proposed to study 10 CI users (5 in each etiological group) who will undergo speech intelligibility testing, and receive speech therapy (1x/week for 10 weeks) using EPG that provides both visual (biofeedback) and auditory feedback. It is hypothesized that the biofeedback in addition to the auditory feedback from the CI will result in an increase in articulation skills and thus the speech intelligibility in these individuals will improve significantly.

Two groups of hearing-impaired persons with cochlear implants.One group will have congenital hearing loss. The second group will include individuals with acquired hearing loss.

Prior and post speech training, participants will read aloud a standard paragraph (Rainbow passage), complete a traditional speech test (Goldman Fristoe Test of Articulation - 3) to assess the sounds of the English language in all word positions (initial, medial, final) and read a list of consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) combinations. Individual treatment will be provided once a week for 10 consecutive weeks. Traditional speech intervention with visual biofeedback from the EPG will be used. Auditory feedback will be provided through the participants own cochlear implant.

Prior and post speech training, participants will read aloud a standard paragraph (Rainbow passage), complete a traditional speech test (Goldman Fristoe Test of Articulation - 3) to assess the sounds of the English language in all word positions (initial, medial, final) and read a list of CVC combinations. Individual treatment will be provided once a week for 10 consecutive weeks. Traditional speech intervention with visual biofeedback from the EPG will be used. Auditory feedback will be provided through the participants own cochlear implant.

The EPG software program allows the speech clinician to model and comment upon the visual patterns during tongue/palate contact and to replay the participant's production for additional correction or reinforcement productions. Auditory feedback will be used to facilitate participant's perception of differences in production.

Change from baseline in speech intelligibility within a 10 week period after exposed to visual display of speech sound production.

Inclusion Criteria: All participants in this study will be at least 3 years post-implant and they must use the implants consistently. Participants who have adventitious/acquired hearing loss must have had normal hearing through their 18th year. Participants with congenital hearing loss will have received oral or total communication education, worn hearing aids and consider themselves to be "oral deaf" adults. Exclusion Criteria: Individuals who do not meet this criteria will be excluded from the protocol.

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