Comparación de la producción vocal en niños con hipoacusia prelocutiva con adaptación audioprotésica e implante coclear con normooyentes / Vowel production in hearing impaired children: A comparison between normal-hearing, hearing-aided and cochlear-implanted children

Introducción y objetivos: La inadecuada retroalimentación auditiva en los niños con hipoacusia prelocutiva altera la articulación de consonantes y vocales. El propósito de esta investigación es comparar la producción de vocales en niños hipoacúsicos hispanohablantes con implante coclear o adaptación audioprotésica con niños normooyentes por medio del análisis acústico de las frecuencias formánticas y el espacio vocal. Método: Un total de 56 niños con hipoacusia prelocutiva (25 con implante coclear y 31 con audífonos) y 47 niños normooyentes participaron en el estudio. Los 2 primeros formantes (F1 y F2) de las 5 vocales del idioma español se midieron utilizando el programa Praat. Para analizar las diferencias entre los 3 grupos se aplicó el método ANOVA de análisis de la varianza y el test de Scheffé. También se calculó el área del espacio vocal. Resultados: El valor medio del F1 en todas las vocales no mostró diferencias significativas en los 3 grupos de niños. Para las vocales /i/, /o/ y /u/ el valor medio del F2 fue significativamente diferente entre los 2 grupos de niños hipoacúsicos y el grupo de niños normooyentes. Conclusión: Ambos grupos de niños con hipoacusia prelocutiva tienden a presentar sutiles desviaciones en la articulación de las vocales que pueden ser analizadas mediante un programa de análisis acústico

Introduction and objectives: Inadequate auditory feedback in prelingually deaf children alters the articulation of consonants and vowels. The purpose of this investigation was to compare vowel production in Spanish-speaking deaf children with cochlear implantation, and with hearing-aids with normal-hearing children by means of acoustic analysis of formant frequencies and vowel space. Methods: A total of 56 prelingually deaf children (25 with cochlear implants and 31 wearing hearing-aids) and 47 normal-hearing children participated. The first 2 formants (F1 and F2) of the five Spanish vowels were measured using Praat software. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and post hoc Scheffé test were applied to analyze the differences between the 3 groups. The surface area of the vowel space was also calculated. Results: The mean value of F1 in all vowels was not significantly different between the 3 groups. For vowels /i/, /o/ and /u/, the mean value of F2 was significantly different between the 2 groups of deaf children and their normal-hearing peers. Conclusion: Both prelingually hearing-impaired groups tended toward subtle deviations in the articulation of vowels that could be analyzed using an objective acoustic analysis programme

Validez de las medidas del pico cepstral para la valoración objetiva de la disfonía en sujetos de habla hispana / Validation of the measures of cepstral peak prominence as a measure of dysphonia severity in Spanish-speaking subjects

Introducción y objetivos: La fiabilidad de las calificaciones perceptuales de la calidad global de la voz y sus dimensiones específicas es difícil de alcanzar, por cuanto estos juicios dependen de la subjetividad del examinador. De este modo, la búsqueda de unas medidas clínicas que sean objetivas, válidas y accesibles es una prioridad para incluirlas en los protocolos de evaluación de la voz. El propósito del presente estudio fue: 1) determinar la exactitud diagnóstica de un único parámetro acústico, la prominencia del pico cepstral suavizado (CPPS), para predecir la presencia y severidad de una disfonía en vocales sostenidas y habla conectada utilizando el programa Praat; 2) determinar la relación entre las medidas del CPPS y las calificaciones perceptuales de la calidad vocal; y 3) describir los valores normativos del CPPS. Método: Se obtuvo el valor del CPPS de muestras vocales sostenidas y de habla conectada de 72 sujetos hispanohablantes con trastornos vocales y de 52 sujetos hispanohablantes sanos utilizando el programa Praat. Se llevó a cabo un estudio estadístico completo utilizando el programa SPSS de IBM versión 23. Resultados: Se encontró una sensibilidad de un 70% y una especificidad de un 85%. La severidad estimada de la voz, tanto en vocal sostenida como en habla conectada, se correlacionó de forma importante con las calificaciones perceptuales de severidad global de la disfonía. Conclusiones: Un parámetro acústico único, el CPPS calculado mediante el programa Praat, predice de forma importante el estatus de un trastorno vocal. Se considera la incorporación del CPPS para complementar la valoración clínica de la voz

Introduction and objectives: Perceptual rating of overall voice quality and other more specific perceptual dimensions is difficult, as such judgments depend on the listener's subjectivity. Thus, finding objective, valid, and accessible clinical measures to include in comprehensive voice evaluation protocols is a priority. The purposes of this study were to 1) determine the diagnostic accuracy of a single acoustic measure, smoothed cepstral peak prominence (CPPS), to predict voice disorder status from sustained vowels and connected speech samples using the software Praat; 2) to determine the relationship between measures of CPPS and perceptual ratings of vocal quality; and 3) describe the normative values of CPPS. Method: Measures of CPPS were obtained from connected speech and sustained vowel recordings of 72 Spanish-speaking subjects with voice disorders and 52 nondysphonic Spanish-speaking subjects with no vocal disorders using freely downloadable Praat software. IBM SPSS Statistics software version 23 was used to complete the statistical analyses. Results: results revealed a 70% sensitivity rate, a specificity rate of 85%. Estimated severity for sustained vowels and connected speech were strongly correlated and significantly associated with listener ratings of dysphonia severity. Conclusions: A single acoustic measure of CPPS was highly predictive of voice disorder status using Praat software. Clinicians may consider using CPPS to complement clinical voice evaluation and screening protocols

Vowel production in hearing impaired children: A comparison between normal-hearing, hearing-aided and cochlear-implanted children. / Comparación de la producción vocal en niños con hipoacusia prelocutiva con adaptación audioprotésica e implante coclear con normooyentes.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Inadequate auditory feedback in prelingually deaf children alters the articulation of consonants and vowels. The purpose of this investigation was to compare vowel production in Spanish-speaking deaf children with cochlear implantation, and with hearing-aids with normal-hearing children by means of acoustic analysis of formant frequencies and vowel space. METHODS: A total of 56 prelingually deaf children (25 with cochlear implants and 31 wearing hearing-aids) and 47 normal-hearing children participated. The first 2 formants (F1 and F2) of the five Spanish vowels were measured using Praat software. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and post hoc Scheffé test were applied to analyze the differences between the 3 groups. The surface area of the vowel space was also calculated. RESULTS: The mean value of F1 in all vowels was not significantly different between the 3 groups. For vowels /i/, /o/ and /u/, the mean value of F2 was significantly different between the 2 groups of deaf children and their normal-hearing peers. CONCLUSION: Both prelingually hearing-impaired groups tended toward subtle deviations in the articulation of vowels that could be analyzed using an objective acoustic analysis programme.

Validation of the measures of cepstral peak prominence as a measure of dysphonia severity in Spanish-speaking subjects. / Validez de las medidas del pico cepstral para la valoración objetiva de la disfonía en sujetos de habla hispana.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Perceptual rating of overall voice quality and other more specific perceptual dimensions is difficult, as such judgments depend on the listener's subjectivity. Thus, finding objective, valid, and accessible clinical measures to include in comprehensive voice evaluation protocols is a priority. The purposes of this study were to 1) determine the diagnostic accuracy of a single acoustic measure, smoothed cepstral peak prominence (CPPS), to predict voice disorder status from sustained vowels and connected speech samples using the software Praat; 2) to determine the relationship between measures of CPPS and perceptual ratings of vocal quality; and 3) describe the normative values of CPPS. METHOD: Measures of CPPS were obtained from connected speech and sustained vowel recordings of 72 Spanish-speaking subjects with voice disorders and 52 nondysphonic Spanish-speaking subjects with no vocal disorders using freely downloadable Praat software. IBM SPSS Statistics software version 23 was used to complete the statistical analyses. RESULTS: results revealed a 70% sensitivity rate, a specificity rate of 85%. Estimated severity for sustained vowels and connected speech were strongly correlated and significantly associated with listener ratings of dysphonia severity. CONCLUSIONS: A single acoustic measure of CPPS was highly predictive of voice disorder status using Praat software. Clinicians may consider using CPPS to complement clinical voice evaluation and screening protocols.