HEARING AND SPEECH--COCHLEAR IMPLANT USERS

本研究旨在刻画语后言语产出的特征 聋人在接受人工耳蜗术前和术后的顺序 有助于我们理解耳聋患者的言语障碍 听力在正常言语中的作用。到目前为止，我们的发现表明 语后聋患者言语参数的显著恶化 成人，在激活他们的人工耳蜗物后，大量 纵向变化，通常是，但不是一致的，在方向上 正常的生活。我们研究的理论框架提供了 关节运动被编程以实现特征序列- 明确的发音和发声目标。此编程使用 获得发音命令和发音命令之间关系的内部模型 声学输出；我们将此内部模型的参数设置称为 音素设置。随着人工耳蜗术恢复了一部分听力， 说话者改变音素设置(例如反映在元音F2、嘶哑音中 频谱)，同时进行姿势调整(例如，反射 平均SPL、心率、FO等变化。来开发和评估这一点 理论框架上，我们建议进行三种实验； (1)对言语前后的长期纵向研究 植入；(2)短期研究，其中来自植入物的信号 被修改或中断，或者，对于听力受试者，其中听觉 反馈被暂时改变；以及(3)知觉实验，其中 植入用户识别音素并辨别合成语音刺激， 其中，他们的可理解性是通过正常听力来评估的 听众。实验主要集中在：三种光谱对比度 (元音、塞音和塞音)、时序对比(塞音)、 协同发音、音素目标的变异性和超音段 FO和SPL的调节。我们将测试从 理论框架；例如，姿势变化比音素变化更快 重新设置；植入物使用者将能够区分 他们将激活前更改为激活后；访问听觉验证 音素设置会降低音素目标值的变异性； 与自我倾听产生的音素对比更多 比那些没有它的产品更容易理解。知识的主体 关于植入物使用者的言语，提供了一些关于“言语”的信息 我们的发现也适用于更广泛的 语音科学中的理论问题，如发音 语言障碍的基础，尤其是在聋人中； 聋人言语中言语参数(联系)的相互关系 成人和听力正常的说话者；人工听力的作用 在确定植入物使用者的言语特征时； 听力正常的说话者在发音程序中的听力。

This research aims to characterize the speech production of postlingually deafened adults before and after they receive cochlear implants, in order to contribute to our understanding of disordered speech in deafness and the role of hearing in normal speech. Our findings to this point indicate significant deterioration of speech parameters in postlingually deafened adults and, following activation of their cochlear implants, substantial longitudinal changes, often, but not uniformly, in the direction of normalcy. The theoretical framework of our research provides that articulatory movements are programmed to achieve sequences of feature- specified articulatory and acoustic goals. This programming uses an acquired internal model of relations between articulatory commands and acoustic output; we term the parameter settings of this internal model the phonemic settings. With some hearing restored with a cochlear prosthesis, speakers change phonemic settings (reflected in, e.g., vowel F2, sibilant spectra) at the same time they make postural adjustments (e.g., reflected in such changes as average SPL, rate, FO). To develop and evaluate this theoretical framework, we propose conducting three kinds of experiments; (1) long-term, longitudinal studies of speech before and after implantation; (2) short-term studies, in which signals from the implant are modified or interrupted or, with hearing subjects, in which auditory feedback is temporarily altered; and (3) perceptual experiments, in which implant users identify phonemes and discriminate synthetic speech stimuli, and in which their intelligibility is evaluated by normally-hearing listeners. The experiments focus mainly on: three spectral contrasts (vowels, sibilants and plosives), a timing contrast (plosive voicing), coarticulation, variability of phoneme targets, and suprasegmental regulation of FO and SPL. We will test predictions derived from the theoretical framework; e.g., postural changes are more rapid than phonemic resettings; implant users will be able to discriminate those contrasts that they change pre- to post-activation; access to auditory validation of phonemic settings will reduce variability around phoneme target values; phoneme contrasts produced with access to self-hearing are more intelligible than those produced without it. The body of knowledge concerning the speech of implant users provides some information on "speech benefit" from the cochlear implant. Our findings also bear on broader theoretical issues in speech science, such as the articulatory underpinnings of disordered speech, especially in deafened adults; interrelations among speech parameters (linkages) in the speech of deafened adults and in speakers with normal hearing; the role of prosthetic hearing in determining the characteristics of implant-user speech; the role of hearing in articulatory programming in speakers with normal hearing.