Graeme Clark Collection

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Author: Blamey, Peter × Author: Clark, Graeme × Author: Sarant, Julia × End date: 1992 × Start date: 1992 × Subject: profound deafness × Subject: speech processor ×

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    Clinical experience with the University of Melbourne multichannel electrotactile speech processor (Tickle Talker)
    Cowan, Robert S. C. ; Blamey, Peter J. ; Sarant, J. Z. ; Galvin, K. L. ; Alcantara, J. I. ; Whitford, Lesley A. ; Clark, Graeme M. ( 1992)
    The Tickle Talker is a multiple channel electrotactile speech processor, developed for use by profoundly hearing-impaired adults and children. The device is intended to be used in combination with lipreading and aided residual hearing, to assist the greatest potential range of users. Sound detection and speech reception threshold levels for a group of 14 congenitally hearing-impaired children were shown to be lower when using the Tickle Talker than for hearing aids across the speech frequency range. Tactile-alone feature contrast testing with adults demonstrated that both segmental and suprasegmental speech feature information was available from the tactual display presented by the Tickle Talker. Clinical results from an ongoing program involving fourteen hearing-impaired children demonstrate benefits in speech perception achieved through use of the Tickle Talker. The children have a range of degree of hearing impairment and educational setting. Results show improvements in discrimination scores for vowel and consonant speech features, and increased scores for recognition of closed-set words and for open-set words and sentences. In addition, anecdotal evidence indicates changes in speech production which may be attributed to perceptual input from the device (both from perception of other speakers, and from voice self-monitoring). Results from a group of 4 adult patients show that tactile input may be effectively combined with either aided residual hearing, or aided residual hearing and lipreading to improve speech discrimination across a similar range of closed and open-set word and sentence tests and on speech tracking. The results indicate that some specific tailoring of the speech information provided through the device for the needs of users with differing degrees of hearing-impairment may be required to optimize potential benefits to speech discrimination.
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    Development of an advanced electrotactile speech processor [Abstract]
    Cowan, Robert S. C. ; Blamey, Peter J. ; Glavin, K. L. ; Sarant, J. Z. ; Millard, R. ; Clark, Graeme M. ( 1992)
    Initial studies with a multiple channel electrotactile speech processor ('Tickle Talker') showed that profoundly hearing-impaired adults and children could achieve significant improvements on speech perception tests through use of tactual-encoded estimates of fundamental frequency, second formant frequency and amplitude envelope. Results showed that the device provided tactual cues which could be used to discriminate speech features such as vowel length and place, and consonant manner and voicing. However, discrimination of initial consonant voicing was not as consistent as for other features. Accurate discrimination of consonant voicing and manner (particularly high frequency information) is critical, since this Information is generally inaudible through hearing aids, and difficult to lipread.