Speech Recognition of Cochlear Implant Users Inside a Noisy Helicopter Environment.

Caldeira, Juliana Maria Araujo; Goffi-Gomez, Maria Valéria Schmidt; Imamura, Rui; Bento, Ricardo Ferreira; Caldeira, Juliana Maria Araujo; Goffi-Gomez, Maria Valéria Schmidt; Bento, Ricardo Ferreira

In this study, we tested whether the speech recognition, through radio communications, of cochlear implant (CI) users inside a noisy helicopter cockpit is adequate for safe flight.Method: Speech recognition tests (sentences, numbers and disyllables) through a very-high-frequency radio were administered to 12 CI users in a soundproof booth, inside a helicopter with the engine turned off and turned on.Results: In quiet environments, radio communications were impacted only for disyllable intelligibility, but in noisy situations, all tests were affected.Conclusions: CI subjects did not achieve the auditory levels recommended by the International Civil Aviation Organization.

INTERNATIONAL Civil Aviation Organization; SPEECH perception; COCHLEAR implants; SHORTWAVE radio; PRIVATE flying; HELICOPTERS

Audiology & Neurotology, 2019, Vol 24, Issue 1, p32

1420-3030

Academic Journal

10.1159/000497031