Kristin Uhler1, Allison Biever, René H Gifford. 1. *University of Colorado Denver, Denver †Rocky Mountain Ear Center, Englewood, Colorado ‡Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.A.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To characterize the potential differences in speech understanding performance on word and sentence tests assessed using live voice and recorded speech measures for pediatric cochlear implant (CI) recipients. STUDY DESIGN: This clinical study used a combination of retrospective and prospective study designs exploring within-subject performance for recorded versus monitored-live-voice presentation methods on pediatric word and sentence measures. METHODS: Word and/or sentence recognition was obtained for 29 pediatric CI recipients using both recorded stimuli and monitored-live-voice (MLV) within a single-test session with a single experimenter for each session. The difference score was calculated for word and sentence measures allowing a comparison across conditions. SETTING: Ambulatory. PATIENTS: Pediatric patients aged 4 to 17 years. INTERVENTION(S): Cochlear implants. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Speech recognition testing. RESULTS: There was a significant difference between recorded and MLV speech understanding with mean recorded word scores being 13-percentage points lower than those obtained via MLV. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this project suggest that the use of MLV for the assessment of speech perception in the pediatric Audiology clinic may overinflate children's performance and thereby runs the risk of failing to identify poorer or at-risk performance.
OBJECTIVE: To characterize the potential differences in speech understanding performance on word and sentence tests assessed using live voice and recorded speech measures for pediatric cochlear implant (CI) recipients. STUDY DESIGN: This clinical study used a combination of retrospective and prospective study designs exploring within-subject performance for recorded versus monitored-live-voice presentation methods on pediatric word and sentence measures. METHODS:Word and/or sentence recognition was obtained for 29 pediatric CI recipients using both recorded stimuli and monitored-live-voice (MLV) within a single-test session with a single experimenter for each session. The difference score was calculated for word and sentence measures allowing a comparison across conditions. SETTING: Ambulatory. PATIENTS: Pediatric patients aged 4 to 17 years. INTERVENTION(S): Cochlear implants. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Speech recognition testing. RESULTS: There was a significant difference between recorded and MLV speech understanding with mean recorded word scores being 13-percentage points lower than those obtained via MLV. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this project suggest that the use of MLV for the assessment of speech perception in the pediatric Audiology clinic may overinflate children's performance and thereby runs the risk of failing to identify poorer or at-risk performance.