HEARING AND SPEECH--COCHLEAR IMPLANT USERS

本研究的目的是描述语后言语产生的特点 成年人在接受人工耳蜗植入之前和之后， 帮助我们理解耳聋患者的语言障碍， 听力在正常言语中的作用 我们的发现表明 语言后退化的语音参数显着恶化 成年人，并且在激活他们的耳蜗植入物后， 纵向变化，经常，但不是均匀的，在方向上， 常态 我们研究的理论框架提供， 发音运动被编程以实现特征序列， 特定的发音和声学目标。 此编程使用 获得的发音命令之间的关系的内部模型， 声输出;我们将此内部模型的参数设置称为 音素设置 通过人工耳蜗恢复了一些听力， 说话者改变音素设置（反映在，例如，元音F2，擦音 光谱）同时它们进行姿势调整（例如，反映 在诸如平均SPL、速率、FO等变化中）。 来开发和评估这个 理论框架，我们建议进行三种实验; (1)长期的，纵向的言语研究， 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;（3）知觉实验，其中 植入用户识别音素并区分合成语音刺激， 并且其中它们的可懂度由正常听力的人来评估 听众 实验主要集中在：三个光谱对比度 （元音、咝音和爆破音），时间对比（爆破音）， 共构音、音位目标的变异性和超音段 FO和SPL的调节。 我们将测试来自 理论框架;例如，姿势变化比音素变化快 重新设置;植入物用户将能够区分那些对比， 它们在激活前和激活后发生变化; 音素设置将减少音素目标值周围的可变性; 音素对比产生的获得自我听觉更多 比那些没有它产生的更容易理解。知识的主体 关于植入物使用者的言语提供了关于“言语”的一些信息， 从人工耳蜗中受益 我们的研究结果还涉及到更广泛的 言语科学中的理论问题，如发音 言语障碍的基础，尤其是在成年人中; 语音参数之间的相互关系（链接）在语音中 成人和听力正常的说话者;人工听力的作用 在确定植入用户语音的特点;的作用 听力正常的说话者的发音编程中的听力。

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.