title: Period for Normalization of Voice Acoustic Parameters in Indian Pediatric Cochlear Implantees.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to investigate the duration required by children with cochlear implants to approximate the norms of voice acoustic parameters.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study design is retrospective.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty children with cochlear implants (chronological ages ranging between 4.1 and 6.7 years) were divided into three groups, based on the postimplantation duration. Ten normal-hearing children (chronological ages ranging between 4 and 7 years) were selected as the control group. All implanted children underwent an objective voice analysis using Dr. Speech software (Tiger DRS, Inc., Seattle, WA, USA) at 6 months and at 1 and 2 years of implant use. Voice analysis was done for the children in the control group and means were derived for all the parameters analyzed to obtain the normal values. Habitual fundamental frequency (HFF), jitter (frequency variation), and shimmer (amplitude variation) were the voice acoustic parameters analyzed for the vowels |a|, |i|, and |u|. The obtained values of these parameters were then compared with the norms.
  
  
  RESULTS
  HFF for the children with implant use for 6 months and 1 year did significantly differ from the control group. However, there was no significant difference (P > 0.5) observed in the children with implant use for 2 years, thus matching the norms. Jitter and shimmer showed a significant difference (P < 0.5) even at 2 years of implant use when compared with the control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings of the study divulge that children with cochlear implants approximate age-matched normal-hearing kids with respect to the voice acoustic parameter of HFF by 2 years of implant use. However, jitter and shimmer were not found to stabilize for the duration studied.
authors.affiliation: Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology-BIG EARS, K.E.M. Hospital, Pune, Maharashtra, India. Electronic address: jeena.16@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Jeena V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Joy
authors.affiliation: Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology-BIG EARS, K.E.M. Hospital, Pune, Maharashtra, India.
authors.forename: Shweta
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Deshpande
authors.affiliation: Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology-BIG EARS, K.E.M. Hospital, Pune, Maharashtra, India.
authors.forename: Dr Neelam
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Vaid
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000162:Acoustics; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019929:Cochlear Implantation / Q000295:instrumentation*; D003054:Cochlear Implants; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D019986:Persons with Hearing Disabilities / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D010699:Phonation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D013061:Speech Acoustics; D013067:Speech Perception; D013068:Speech Production Measurement; D013997:Time Factors; D014833:Voice Quality
keywords: Cochlear implant; Duration for normalization; Voice acoustic parameters