Abstract:
Introduction: Individuals with auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder (ANSD) are known to have temporal processing deficits and poor speech perception abilities. The distorted auditory perception, if long-standing, may influence speech production abilities. The present study was undertaken to probe into the voice characteristics of individuals with long-standing ANSD, on a perceptual scale. The study used standard groups comparison research design. Materials and Methods: The study involved 11 individuals with acquired long-standing ANSD and 20 age-matched individuals (10 males and 10 females) with normal-hearing sensitivity. The recorded reading samples of the participants were presented randomly to nine speech-language pathologists who were blindfolded to the purpose of the study. The analysis was done using the Consensus Auditory-Perceptual Evaluation of Voice which provides a 100-mm Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Descriptive statistics and Pearson's correlations were carried out. Results: The results obtained revealed that individuals with long-standing ANSD present with deviant voice characteristics in terms of rough voice, breathiness, strain, high pitch, and reduced loudness. These deviations in voice could be attributed to defective auditory feedback secondary to hearing loss. Furthermore, a significant correlation was found to exist between the duration of hearing loss and the severity of deviant voice in these individuals. Conclusions: The findings suggest that voice is deviant in individuals with long-standing ANSD. This finding necessitates early identification and rehabilitation in individuals with long-standing AD to avoid negative influence on other domains of communication such as speech production.