title: A clinical report on speech production of cochlear implant users.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim was to assess articulation and speech intelligibility over time in a group of cochlear implant users implanted at 8 yr or over. The hypothesis was that the postoperative speech production performance would be greater than the preoperative performance.
  
  
  METHODS
  A test of intelligibility using sentences and an articulation test measuring non-imitative elicited speech were administered to 11 and 10 subjects, respectively, who were implanted with the 22-electrode cochlear implant. Nine subjects received both tests. Age at implantation ranged from 8 yr to 20 yr and implant use ranged from 1 yr to 4 yr 5 mo.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For both the intelligibility and articulation tests roughly half of the subjects showed significant improvements over time and group mean postoperative performance significantly exceeded preoperative performance. Improvements occurred for front, middle, and back consonants; for stops, fricatives, and glides and for voiceless and voiced consonants.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite being deprived of acoustic speech information for many childhood years, roughly half of the patients assessed showed significant gains in speech intelligibility and articulation postimplantation. The lack of a control group of non-implanted patients means that we cannot separate out the influence of the implant on speech production from other influences such as training and tactile-kinaesthetic feedback.
authors: Cochlear Implant Clinic, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, East Melbourne, Australia.
authors: P W
authors: PW
authors: Dawson
authors: P J
authors: PJ
authors: Blamey
authors: S J
authors: SJ
authors: Dettman
authors: L C
authors: LC
authors: Rowland
authors: E J
authors: EJ
authors: Barker
authors: E A
authors: EA
authors: Tobey
authors: P A
authors: PA
authors: Busby
authors: R C
authors: RC
authors: Cowan
authors: G M
authors: GM
authors: Clark
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D002648:Child; D003054:Cochlear Implants; D003638:Deafness / Q000534:rehabilitation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010700:Phonetics; D013060:Speech; D013065:Speech Intelligibility; D013068:Speech Production Measurement