title: The effect of cochlear implantation on nasalance of speech in postlingually hearing-impaired adults.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Hypernasality is considered a prevalent speech abnormality that could significantly contribute to the unintelligibility of the hearing-impaired speakers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of cochlear implantation and the duration of hearing loss on nasalance of speech of a postlingually impaired group of Saudi adult patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study included 25 postlingually hearing-impaired patients who underwent cochlear implantation and 25 age-matched control subjects. Patients were divided into three groups according to the duration of hearing loss. The nasometric data of the hearing-impaired group were compared with the control group. Also, the preoperative values were compared with the postoperative values 6, 12, and 24 months after surgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant differences were demonstrated between the preimplantation nasalance scores of the three subgroups and between the patients and control groups. There were statistically significant differences demonstrated between the pre- and the postimplantation nasalance values for the three groups of patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cochlear implantation appears to have significant effects on improving the nasalance of the speech of postlingually hearing-impaired adult patients. However, the degree of improvement might vary according to the duration of hearing loss the patients had preimplantation.
authors.affiliation: Communication and Swallowing Disorders Unit (CSDU), ENT Department, King Abdulaziz University Hospital, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Sabah M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Hassan
authors.forename: Khalid H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Malki
authors.forename: Tamer A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Mesallam
authors.forename: Mohamad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Farahat
authors.forename: Manal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bukhari
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Murry
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D019929:Cochlear Implantation; D012048:Correction of Hearing Impairment / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006311:Hearing Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019986:Persons with Hearing Disabilities / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012529:Saudi Arabia; D013061:Speech Acoustics; D013065:Speech Intelligibility; D013067:Speech Perception; D013068:Speech Production Measurement; D013997:Time Factors; D014833:Voice Quality; D055815:Young Adult