A Comparative Study of Voice Characteristics of Adults with Hearing Impairment Amplified at Different Ages and Normal Hearing

Abstract

The study aimed to compare the voice characteristics of adults with hearing impairment who were fitted with amplification below 3yrs of age, 4.1 to 6yrs of age, 7.1 to 9yrs of age to normal hearing. Sixty subjects among which forty five were hearing impaired and 15 normal hearing with mean age of 22.2yrs and 20.5yrs participated in the study. Voice samples of sustained phonation of vowel /a/ were collected and analyzed using Visi pitch IV (3950B) for fundamental frequency, jitter, Shimmer and Noise to Harmonic Ratio. The mean F0 was higher in all three hearing impaired group and jitter, Shimmer and noise to harmonic ratio of the hearing impaired group who were amplified below three years of age was more similar to normal hearing group as compared to later amplified groups. All voice parameters were largely deviant in Hearing impaired adults group who were amplified after six years of age.