Determining Normative Nasalization Scores Among Persian-speaking Adults

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Introduction: Awareness of the nasality norm condition in normal people’s speech (children and adults) is very important for assessment and treatment of nasality disorders. The main goal of this study was to determine normative nasalance scores among Persian-speaking adults. Material and Methods: In this descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study, nasalance value of 152 adults (54 males and 98 females) older than 18 years was examined by access method. Nasality test which included vowels (front/back, high/low), syllables (with oral and nasal consonants), words (with oral and nasal consonants), and sentences (with oral and nasal consonants) was done using Nasometer II model 6450. The data were then analyzed using paired t- test and Wilcoxon statistical test. Results: The results indicate that the nasalance mean score for back vowels is significantly higher than front vowels. Also, the amount of nasalance mean score for low vowels is significantly higher than that in high vowels. The results also indicate that the nasalance mean scores for syllables, words, and sentences with nasal consonants is significantly higher than those with oral consonants (P<0.001). Conclusion: The results of the present study have provided the mean scores of nasalance for vowels, syllables, words, and sentences separately with oral and nasal consonants in normal Persian-speaking adults. Also, the data obtained in this study can be used to compare the function of the resonance system in people with suspected resonant disorders.