Matthew Masapollo, Ph.D., an assistant professor at the University of Oklahoma, is studying how children with hearing impairments develop speech despite receiving unclear sounds through cochlear implants. His research, funded by the Presbyterian Health Foundation and announced by the University of Oklahoma, examines how tactile feedback helps guide speech movements when auditory signals are limited.
According to the Oklahoma University News, speech production involves the coordination of more than 100 muscles, making it one of the body’s most complex functions. Masapollo’s early findings showed that individuals with normal hearing relied heavily on auditory feedback, with reduced speech precision when sound was blocked. However, for cochlear implant users, speech movements improved when the implant was turned off, suggesting a different reliance on sensory input.
Masapollo is expanding his research using electromagnetic articulography, which tracks three-dimensional movements of the vocal tract by attaching sensors to the face and head. This approach, combined with sound analysis and sensory nerve blocks, is used to study how speech is controlled without tactile feedback. The research also involves collaboration with Dr. Mark Mims and other otolaryngologists at the University of Oklahoma.
Masapollo explained that people with limited auditory input may depend more on the feeling of mouth movements to guide speech. The study suggests that oral motor training could be an effective way to teach speech to children with hearing loss, focusing on tactile cues rather than solely on auditory input.
The research could lead to improved teaching methods for children with hearing impairments by emphasizing sensory-based speech control and refining how speech therapy is delivered.
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