A pilot investigation of changes in laryngeal function pre and post cochlear implant surgery

This pilot investigation was undertaken to determine if there were any measurable changes in laryngeal function when comparing pre and post operative status with regard to cochlear implant surgery. The subjects, all totally deafened adults with varying aetiologies, were unable to monitor speech/voice production acoustically prior to surgery. The study aimed to evaluate whether change was effected to laryngeal function, and therefore voice quality, once an auditory feedback loop had been re-established and no direct therapeutic intervention had taken place. All the subjects were implanted with a multi-channel cochlear implant device (Nucleus 22: SPEAK strategy). Results indicate that a significant change can be measured in laryngeal function when comparing pre and post operative status of cochlear implant surgery. Furthermore, the assessment of laryngeal function identifies the source of acoustic findings which facilitates effective management of voice quality during rehabilitation following cochlear implantation.