Change of acoustic features of voice before and after hearing aid fitting

ABSTRACT

This study included 19 patients with sensorineural hearing loss and one patient with mixed hearing loss. Acoustic analysis of sustained phonation of 3 vowels /a/, /i/, and /u/ was done using computerized speech laboratory manufactured by KAY before and after hearing and fitting. The analysis included average pitch, jitter and shimmer. There was a decrease in average pitch in most cases of /a/ and /u/ vowels and increase in most cases of /i/ vowel. As regards jitter there was increase in most cases of /i/ and /u/ vowels and decrease in most cases of /a/ vowel. Shimmer showed increase in most cases of the three vowels. It was suggested that these changes are mainly due to the effect of the improved auditory feedback after fitting