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Mandarin is a tonal language, and it is important to preserve lexical tone information in synthesized speech. With natural speech, Chinese cochlear implant (CI) users have difficulty perceiving voice pitch cues important for lexical tone perception; it is unclear whether this difficulty persists in Mandarin synthesized speech. In this study, intelligibility of naturally produced and synthesized Mandarin speech was measured in Chinese normal-hearing (NH) and CI listeners. Five synthesized voices were selected to represent different talker genders (male, female, child), speaking rates (normal, slow), and speaking styles (emotional, accent). The data showed that modern Mandarin text-to-speech (TTS) systems can provide excellent Mandarin speech intelligibility for NH listeners, even when the synthesized voices were emotional or accented. However, intelligibility was significantly poorer for CI users than for NH listeners (p<0.001), and performance with synthesized speech was significantly poorer than with natural speech in CI users (p<0.001). CI listeners were also highly sensitive to the "extra-atypical" synthesized emotional and accented speech. Performance with each of the synthesized speech types was significantly correlated with performance with natural speech in CI users (p<0.01 in all cases). While modern TTS systems offer educational and communication benefits to CI users and hearing-impaired individuals, the selection of synthesized voices should be carefully considered in education applications of TTS for hearingimpaired individuals, especially CI children, since poor intelligibility performance may affect language learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To study the variations of cochlea in size and shape and to evaluate performance after cochlear implantation (CI) in children with incomplete partition (IP). Methods Twenty seven children with incomplete partition who have performed Cochlear Implant in Beijing Tongren hospital participated in this study. All subjects were diagnosed as severe hearing loss of both ears. They were divided into 2 groups, IP I and IP II, according to the kind of incomplete partition. The computed tomographic scan images of their temporal bones were recorded and reconstructed with three-dimensional multiplanar reconstruction and curve planar reconstruction techniques. The length the cochlea canal and the shape of the bottom of the cochlea was measured. Two years after surgery, all subjects were evaluated by Categorise of Auditory Performance (CAP), Speech Intelligibility Rating (SIR), Meaningful Auditor Integration Scale (MAIS) and Meaningful Use of Speech Scale (MUSS). Result: The mean age of IP-I patients at the time of CI was 21.76 ± 10 92 months. The length of the cochlea canal are 20.29 ± 4.39mm.The length and width of the bottom of cochlea are 8.11±0.91mm and 5.39±0.73mm, respectively. And the width and height of the cochlea canal in the bottom are 2.55±0.91mm and 3.10±0.94mm, respectively. The score of CAP, SIR, MAIS and MUSS were 5.76 ± 1.53, 3.21 ± 1.03, 26.84 ± 7.63, 20.84 ± 8.23, separately. The mean age of IP-II patients at the time of CI was 18.2 ± 8.94months. The length of the cochlea canal are 24.35 ± 2.92 mm. The length and width of the bottom of cochlea are 8.58 ± 0.55 mm and 5.72 ± 0.66 mm, respectively. And the width and height of the cochlea canal in the bottom are 1.94 ± 0.26mm and 2.37 ± 0.80 mm, respectively. The score of CAP, SIR, MAIS and MUSS were 6.30 ± 0.95, 3.50 ± 0.85, 28.40 ± 5.92, 25.40 ± 5.58, separately. There is a positive correlation between length and width of the bottom of cochlea. Compared with normal ears, the cochlea shape of CI has more changes. The performances score of IP-I and IP-II were related with the length of cochlea. Conclusion: The length of cochlea canal and the shape of cochlea in IP differ with normal ears. And it varies a lot in different people with IP. The measurement of cochlea before surgery will provide otologist with a lot of information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To analyze the influence factors of the outcomes of cochlear implantation with LVAS.Including the time of hearing loss,the age of CI,pre-operative hearing level,the using time of hearing-aid.To discuss the best time of cochlear implantation for LVAS. Method: 35 patients (15men and 10 women)with LVAS participating in our research from 2013 through 2015.The mean age at implantation was 12 years(range=2~35yr),27 of them were postlingual deafness,the other 8 were prelingual deafness. The mean pre-operative hearing was 95.5dB HL(range=66~115dB HL).The mean time of hearing loss was 8 years(range=1~31yr). The mean time of using hearing aid was 8.8 years(range=0~31yr). The mean hearing threshold with cochlear was 32.2 dB HL(range=25~40dB HL).Using Mandarin speech perception test (MSP) to evaluate the outcomes of CI 2 years after the surgery. Application of the impact of logistics regression analysis of factors related to the outcomes of CI. Results: The mean speech recognition rate of MSP was 72.5% (range=42%~96%).The logistics regression analysis showed that the age of CI,the time of hearing loss,the time of using HA were associated with the outcomes of CI in patient with LVAS.(P<0.05) Conclusion: The age of CI,the time of hearing loss and the time of using HA may influence the outcomes of CI in patient with LVAS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: to access cochlea implant outcomes, and factors affecting outcomes, for children with aplasia/hypoplasia of cochlea nerve. We also developed a more advanced preoperative accessing system, based on nerves in the IAC,diameter of IAC and auditory features Material and Method: Demographic data, preoperative audiological data, imaging data measured on 3D-MRI and HRCT of 60 children with CND were collected. We divided all subjects into 5 groups(CND 0-4) according to the number of nerves observed on MRI. For the subjects with only one nerve in the IAC, the diameter of nerve has also been measured. Categoties of auditory performance(CAP) scores, Speech Intelligibility Rating (SIR), Meaningful Use of Speech Scale (MUSS) and meaningful auditory integration scale (MAIS) were used to access CI outcomes 1 year after surgery. Quantitative data for IAC and CNC diameters, as well as questionnaire scores across subjects groups were compared. The relationship between imaging data and CI outcomes and influence of age, preoperative residual hearing were analyzed as well. Result: Diameters of IAC, CAP,SIR,MUSS,MAIS/IT-MAIS were significantly different among CN groups(P<0.05). CND0 group showed poorer performance than other groups, while CND4 group showed best performance. Number of nerves were significantly correlated with CAP, SIR,MUSS,MAIS for all subjects. IAC diameters was significantly correlated with MAIS for subjects in CND1 group(P<0.01 r2=0.763). There was no significant correlation among CI outcomes and age. Patients with inner ear malformation and with no residual hearing benefit less, but there was no significant difference. Conclusion: Even patients with no nerves observed in IAC can benefit from CI. Both of auditory features and image data should be considered carefully when giving a CI advice . The diameters of IAC may be needed to assist decision- making for patients with one nerve observed in IAC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]