Voice Intensity Research Articles

The Functional Capacity of the Upper Airway in Older Adults with Chronic Stroke

(1) Background: Older adults with chronic stroke may experience compromised upper airway functions due to stroke-related changes and aging. This study aimed to evaluate the functional capacity of the upper airway in older adults with chronic stroke. (2) Methods: A total of 44 patients (22 in each group) were included in the study. The respiratory assessment involved measuring forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in one second, maximum voluntary ventilation, and peak cough flow. The voice assessment recorded intensity, frequency, shimmer, and the harmonics-to-noise ratio during a monologue task. Additionally, the maximum phonation time of /a/ and /s/ was recorded. The swallowing assessment included the Eating Assessment Tool—10 and the Swallowing Quality of Life questionnaire. (3) Results: Significant differences were found in the experimental group compared to the control group in maximum voluntary ventilation (44.59 ± 15.61 vs. 58.50 ± 28.08, p = 0.049) and peak cough flow (173.64 ± 101.09 vs. 291.59 ± 176.58, p = 0.009). Additionally, the experimental group showed poorer results than the control group in monologue intensity (66.60 ± 3.72 vs. 114.72 ± 63.09, p = 0.001), the harmonics-to-noise ratio (9.08 ± 2.06 vs. 10.26 ± 1.59, p = 0.042), and the maximum phonation time of /s/ (4.36 ± 1.67 vs. 8.09 ± 4.07, p < 0.001). Patients with stroke also had significantly lower values for swallowing efficiency and safety compared to the control group (7.05 ± 8.44 vs. 2.23 ± 4.14, p = 0.021) and reported poorer quality of life related to swallowing difficulties (185.50 ± 23.66 vs. 200.32 ± 19.60, p = 0.029). (4) Conclusions: Older adults with chronic stroke exhibited significantly reduced cough strength, voice intensity, maximum phonation time, and swallowing function compared to controls.

LSVT as a fundamental therapeutic technique for improving voice in parkinsonism: Evidence from three cases

Abstract Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT) is one of the main treatments proposed for improving the loudness of hypokinetic dysarthria clients. It follows the modus operandi of training the client to achieve maximum loudness of voice with the highest effort and calibrating the voice at that level. It is very important to pool the evidence obtained from the patients to understand the effectiveness of the technique. My study aims to collect evidence of LSVT treatment from three patients with various stages and severities of Parkinsonism. Results reveal that the loudness level has significantly increased after LSVT treatment in comparison to pre-therapy levels. The percentage of shimmer value has decreased post-therapy. From the result, it is evident that LSVT was highly successful in elevating the loudness of all three clients. The reduction in shimmer percentage coincided with an improved overall quality of voice. Hence, we can conclude that LSVT is an apt treatment method for improving loudness in hypokinetic dysarthria clients.

Correlation between voice intensity and swallowing function in subjects with Parkinson's disease.

People with Parkinson's Disease (PD) experience reduced voice intensity and dysphagia. Organs related to voice production and swallowing are structurally and neurologically intertwined. Thus, instrumental voice assessment may be useful in identifying voice impairments that can show swallowing disorders. Timely assessment of swallowing disorders may prevent the occurrence of malnutrition, dehydration, pneumonia, and death. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between voice intensity and swallowing function in PD. 30 participants with PD were recruited. Motor disability was evaluated by the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale part III; voice intensity was assessed by PRAAT software during sustained /a/ and 1min of monologue. The Penetration Aspiration Scale, the Dysphagia Outcome Severity Scale, and the Videofluoroscopic Dysphagia Scale were used to assess swallowing during videofluoroscopy. Spearman correlation coefficients, logistic, and linear models were used to analyze data. Voice intensity correlated with swallowing: as voice intensity decreased, swallowing function deteriorated (Spearman coefficients from -0.42 to -0.72 across scales), and this holds even when adjusted for MDS-UPDRS motor scores. Swallowing impairment is 56 times more likely (p<0.01) when the voice intensity is below the normal cut-off score (60 dB) with a positive predictive value of 93%. Reduction in voice intensity is indicative of a higher risk of swallowing dysfunction. Thus, an instrumental voice analysis seems to be a non-invasive, lowcost, easy-to-use tool to identify people with PD in need of an assessment to allow for timely swallowing management and reduction of complications caused by dysphagia.

PARALINGUISTIC FEATURES IN STUDENTS' STORYTELLING WITHIN MULTIMODAL COMMUNICATIONS

This study assessed paralinguistic features in Indonesian university students' contextual interaction during storytelling. Data collection was recorded from respondents' two video-based storytelling performances, while a self-rated questionnaire was distributed to 235 respondents out of 481 undergraduate English education students using simple random sampling. Data analysis used a mixed-methods approach to qualify students' paralinguistic features using the eduistic linguistics annotator (ELAN) and to quantify the paralinguistic features using statistical analyses through the significance of .05. The findings revealed that the ELAN analyzed the contextual interaction among freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors. The students’ paralinguistic features corresponded with the lexical and semantic evidence, which approached the function of monosyllabic and bisyllabic words, nonverbal expressions, and interpretations. Bodily gesture quantitatively showed moderate category for 44.7% (t = 2.434; p = .016), articulation showed attributable category for 54.0% (t = 3.789; p = .000), facial expression showed moderate category for 61.7% (t = 2.472; p = .014), and voice loudness showed attributable category for 47.7% (t = 4.121; p = .000). Herein, positive and significant attribution were shown by these paralinguistic features towards students' contextual interactions in storytelling for 34.9% with the multiple regressions (F = 7.990, R² = .349, and p &lt; .000). The paralinguistic features empirically address the multimodal communication modes to improve teaching and learning activities.

Alterations in Emotional Expression Through Speech in Patients With Unilateral Vocal Fold Paralysis: A Preliminary Study

Unilateral Vocal Fold Paralysis (UVFP) have a known impact on patients’ quality of life. One of the potentially affected domains that has not been studied yet is the emotional prosody. To produce and transmit an efficient emotional prosody, several vocal parameters are modulated by the speaker, principally the fundamental frequency, the speech rate, and the voice intensity. We retrieved 300 sentences produced by 10 patients suffering from UVFP, equally in neutral, anger, and sadness. A jury of 6 healthcare voice experts were asked to hear these sentences and choose an emotion for each vocalization, between neutral, anger, and sadness. The jury mainly considered the heard sentences as being in a neutral emotion. Vocal parameters analysis of the anger and sadness sentences that were mistook as neutral showed the absence of significant difference in their fundamental frequencies and speech rates. By being unable to modulate their vocal parameters as needed to produce emotional prosody, specifically the fundamental frequency and speech rate, patients with UVFP suffer from limitations in their capacity to produce the emotional prosody wanted, making the emotions they feel hardly transmitted to their entourage, which can explain the social barriers these patients complain of.

The Impact of Visual and Audiovisual Inputs on Voice Perception and Production: Exploring the Role of Immersive Virtual Reality in Clinical Practice

Sensory feedback is crucial for regulating pitch, loudness and other aspects of voice and speech perception and production. (1) Auditory input is traditionally considered the primary signal in speech communication. One of many examples leading to this reasonable conclusion are studies showing that deaf infants exhibit delayed articulatory precision in babbling and phonological deficits during puberty. (2,3) Other studies have found that superior auditory skills enhance pitch accuracy in voice production, revealing the relationship between auditory input and voice production. (4) Interestingly, other evidence indicates that blind children may also experience phonological deficits. (5) Additionally, incongruent audiovisual input impacts speech perception. (6) Despite these findings, the influence of visual input on individuals’ voice perception and production has largely been overlooked.

Hybrid SPEAK OUT! protocol improves aerodynamic measurements and PROMs in Parkinson's disease.

SPEAK OUT! has been shown to enhance various aspects of voice such as intensity, prosody, voice quality and perception of voice. However, their impacts on expiration and communication effectiveness have not yet been evaluated. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the Hybrid SPEAK OUT! method on aerodynamic measurements and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) in individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD). This study included 157 participants with PD who underwent an intensive 8-week multidisciplinary treatment program. The Hybrid SPEAK OUT! method consisted of three sessions per week, including two group sessions and one individual treatment session. Voice-related aerodynamic measures included maximum phonation time (MPT), vocal cord function using the S/Z ratio, and expiratory flow measures including peakexpiratoryflow (PEF) and peak cough flow (PCF). Two PROMs were included: the Hebrew version of the voice handicap index-10 and communication effectiveness questionnaire. The results of 111 participants were analysed. MPT duration increased, PEF and PCF increased, and better scores were found in PROMs. These findings would appear to support the effectiveness of the Hybrid SPEAK OUT! methods improving function, activity and participation in individuals with PD. However, further research is needed. What is already known on the subject Prior research has demonstrated the effectiveness of behavioral therapies, including the SPEAK OUT! program, in managing speech symptoms in individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD). These therapies have shown improvements in voice intensity, fundamental frequency, voice quality, and voice perception. However, the impact on aerodynamic measures, expiratory flow, and patient-reported outcome measures has not been extensively studied. What this paper adds to existing knowledge This study adds to the existing knowledge by demonstrating that a Hybrid SPEAK OUT! approach, can lead to improvements in aerodynamic measures, including maximum phonation time (MPT), expiratory and cough peak flow. In terms of motor learning, we found that two non-speech exhalation-related tasks that were not directly trained improved following the intensive speech training protocol. Furthermore, it shows positive changes in patient-reported outcome measures, with reduced voice-related disability and improved communication efficiency. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? The findings of this study have important clinical implications for the management of speech symptoms in individuals with PD. The Hybrid SPEAK OUT! program, which combines group and individual sessions, can effectively improve voice, aerodynamic measurements and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs), ultimately enhancing the overall quality of life for patients. These findings support the effectiveness of the Hybrid SPEAK OUT! methods for improving function, activity, and participation in individuals with PD.

Effects of Speech Characteristics on Electroglottographic and Instrumental Acoustic Voice Analysis Metrics in Women With Structural Dysphonia Before and After Treatment.

Literature suggests a dependency of the acoustic metrics, smoothed cepstral peak prominence (CPPS) and harmonics-to-noise ratio (HNR), on human voice loudness and fundamental frequency (F0). Even though this has been explained with different oscillatory patterns of the vocal folds, so far, it has not been specifically investigated. In the present work, the influence of three elicitation levels, calibrated sound pressure level (SPL), F0 and vowel on the electroglottographic (EGG) and time-differentiated EGG (dEGG) metrics hybrid open quotient (OQ), dEGG OQ and peak dEGG, as well as on the acoustic metrics CPPS and HNR, was examined, and their suitability for voice assessment was evaluated. In a retrospective study, 29 women with a mean age of 25 years (± 8.9, range: 18-53) diagnosed with structural vocal fold pathologies were examined before and after voice therapy or phonosurgery. Both acoustic and EGG signals were recorded simultaneously during the phonation of the sustained vowels /ɑ/, /i/, and /u/ at three elicited levels of loudness (soft/comfortable/loud) and unconstrained F0 conditions. A linear mixed-model analysis showed a significant effect of elicitation effort levels on peak dEGG, HNR, and CPPS (all p < .01). Calibrated SPL significantly influenced HNR and CPPS (both p < .01). Furthermore, F0 had a significant effect on peak dEGG and CPPS (p < .0001). All metrics showed significant changes with regard to vowel (all p < .05). However, the treatment had no effect on the examined metrics, regardless of the treatment type (surgery vs. voice therapy). The value of the investigated metrics for voice assessment purposes when sampled without sufficient control of SPL and F0 is limited, in that they are significantly influenced by the phonatory context, be it speech or elicited sustained vowels. Future studies should explore the diagnostic value of new data collation approaches such as voice mapping, which take SPL and F0 effects into account.

The Accompanying Effect in Responses to Auditory Perturbations: Unconscious Vocal Adjustments to Unperturbed Parameters.

The present study examined whether participants respond to unperturbed parameters while experiencing specific perturbations in auditory feedback. For instance, we aim to determine if speakers adjust voice loudness when only pitch is artificially altered in auditory feedback. This phenomenon is referred to as the "accompanying effect" in the present study. Thirty native Mandarin speakers were asked to sustain the vowel /ɛ/ for 3 s while their auditory feedback underwent single shifts in one of the three distinct ways: pitch shift (±100 cents; coded as PT), loudness shift (±6 dB; coded as LD), or first formant (F1) shift (±100 Hz; coded as FM). Participants were instructed to ignore the perturbations in their auditory feedback. Response types were categorized based on pitch, loudness, and F1 for each individual trial, such as Popp_Lopp_Fopp indicating opposing responses in all three domains. The accompanying effect appeared 93% of the time. Bayesian Poisson regression models indicate that opposing responses in all three domains (Popp_Lopp_Fopp) were the most prevalent response type across the conditions (PT, LD, and FM). The more frequently used response types exhibited opposing responses and significantly larger response curves than the less frequently used response types. Following responses became more prevalent only when the perturbed stimuli were perceived as voices from someone else (external references), particularly in the FM condition. In terms of isotropy, loudness and F1 tended to change in the same direction rather than loudness and pitch. The presence of the accompanying effect suggests that the motor systems responsible for regulating pitch, loudness, and formants are not entirely independent but rather interconnected to some degree.

Current state of the problem of voice correction, taking into account potential complications (literature review)

The discrepancy between the sound of the voice and the gender and appearance to which a person refers to himself leads to depression, the inability to socialize and carry out professional activities. To solve this problem, various ways of correcting vocal function have been proposed: hormone therapy, surgical interventions, phonopedic rehabilitation. The presented review is aimed at generalizing and systematizing the literature data on voice change, showing the possibilities of a rational approach to the management of patients with a mismatch in voice pitch to their gender and physique – both conservative and surgical methods – taking into account potential complications.The purpose of this study is to evaluate the possibilities of various methods of voice correction in patients wishing to change the pitch of their voice, and their likely complications according to the literature.There are a large number of operations to increase the pitch of the voice, which conditionally pursue three goals: reducing the length, total mass of the vocal folds or increasing their tension; they can be performed both openly and endoscopically – using classical instruments and a CO2 laser. In the postoperative period, dysphonia, decreased voice intensity, suture divergence, lack of increase in the fundamental frequency of the voice and even its decrease are often observed. In addition to granulomas, the need for revision with insufficient/asymmetric tension of the vocal folds, life-threatening complications in the form of infection, edema and an increase in signs of laryngeal stenosis are possible.Hormone therapy under medical supervision eliminates the risk of complications, however, uncontrolled testosterone intake leads to an increase in systolic blood pressure, an increase in hemoglobin, hematocrit, etc. The most characteristic complications of taking estrogens are a significant increase in thrombotic and cardiovascular risks, hyperprolactinemia. Phonopedia has a minimal risk of complications, it is possible before and after surgery to increase the fundamental frequency and improve other voice characteristics.Literature search was conducted in domestic (CyberLeninka, Google Academy) and international (PubMed) databases in Russian and English.

A CASE REPORT ON THE MANAGEMENT OF SULCUS VOCALIS WITH REFER-ENCE TO SWARASADA

1Sulcus vocalis is a condition characterized by a groove or infolding of the mucosa along the surface of the vocal fold, disrupting the normal physiology of vocal fold vibration and impacting voice production. Common symptoms include hoarseness, vocal fatigue, voice weakness, and increased effort, particularly concerning working professionals who rely on speech for communication and quality of life. While treatment options like phono surgery and speech therapy exist, phono surgery often yields disappointing results, typically limited to increased voice loudness. In Ayurveda, this condition aligns with Swarasada, attributed to factors such as 2Athyucha bhasana(loud speaking) and abhighata(trauma), leading to dosha invasion in sabdhavahi siras and causing speech difficulties. Presented here is a case report involving a 33-year-old IT professional experiencing hoarseness, vocal fatigue, and weakness. Upon bronchoscopy, the diagnosis initially indicated muscle tension dysphonia, later revealing bilateral sulcus vocalis with GERD. The patient underwent Nasya, Gandusha, and Sneha Sweda procedures alongside internal medication. Following a one-month review, the patient exhibited marked improvement in voice clarity. Notably, modern treatments provided only temporary relief. This case report underscores the effective management of sulcus vocalis through Panchakarma treatments and internal medications, showcasing consistent relief over a three-month review period.

Voice self-assessment in individuals with Parkinson's Disease as compared to general voice disorders

BackgroundIndividuals with Parkinson's Disease (IwPD) often fail to adjust their voice in different situations, without awareness of this limitation. Clinicians use self-report questionnaires that are typically designed for individuals with General Voice Disorders (GVD) in the vocal assessment of IwPD. However, these instruments may not consider that IwPD have a reduced self-perception of their vocal deficits. This study aimed to compare self-reported vocal symptoms and voice loudness between IwPD and GVD. Methods28 IwPD and 26 with GVD completed the Voice Symptom Scale (VoiSS) questionnaire to evaluate their voice self-perception. Vocal loudness (dB) was also assessed. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to compare the outcomes from these measures between the two groups. Principal Component Analysis and Hierarchical Clustering Analysis were applied to explore data patterns related to voice symptoms. ResultsIwPD reported significantly fewer vocal symptoms than those with GVD in all VoiSS questionnaire domains. Multivariate principal component analysis found no significant correlations between VoiSS scores and participant similarities in voice measures. Despite experiencing hypophonia, IwPD scored lower in all VoiSS domains but still fell in the healthy voice range. Hierarchical Clustering Analysis grouped participants into three distinct categories, primarily based on age, vocal loudness, and VoiSS domain scores, distinguishing between PD and GVD individuals. ConclusionsIwPD reported fewer vocal symptoms than GVD. The voice self-assessment seems to be unreliable to assess vocal symptoms in IwPD, at least regarding loudness. New self-report instruments tailored to PD individuals are needed due to their particular voice characteristics.

Use of Auditory Feedback Amplifier in Women Without Voice Complaints: A Comparison of Acoustic Measures, Self-Rated Vocal Effort, and Voice Intensity

To compare the immediate effects of using MindVox in women without voice complaints for 1, 3, 5, and 7 minutes of reading tasks, on acoustic measurements of the vocal signal in low, medium, and strongintensity emissions; on self-rated effort vocal, and on the intensity of voice reception and production. Participants read one text using MindVox for 1, 3, 5, and 7minutes. After each time, measures of self-rated vocal effort were collected (BORG CR10-BR Scale), as well as samples of the vowel /e/ at low (>70dB), moderate (≥70dB and ≤80dB), and high intensities (>80dB). Acoustic measurements (F0, short-term acoustic measurements, and cepstral peak prominence measurements) were also collected before and after the procedure and subsequently analyzed in the CTS 5.0 Vox-Metria Program. Voice reception and production intensities were captured during the reading task using two decibel meters. One decibel meter was installed near the ear (average intensity received by the ear (EAVG)) and the other near the lips (average intensity captured near the lips (LAVG)), and the data were submitted for analysis. The Cepstral Peak Prominence-Smoothed increased in the first minute, the Cepstral Peak Prominence increased in the third minute, and the jitter decreased from the first minute. All these changes were observed at low intensity and were maintained at the other time points. For every 5dB of amplification (EAVG), there was a 1dB decrease in voice production (LAVG). Using MindVox in women without voice complaints brings positive immediate effects in cepstral measures and jitter at low intensity. There is a connection between the intensity of the voice received by the ear and the intensity of voice production.

Direct subthalamic nucleus stimulation influences speech and voice quality in Parkinson's disease patients

BackgroundDBS of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) considerably ameliorates cardinal motor symptoms in PD. Reported STN-DBS effects on secondary dysarthric (speech) and dysphonic symptoms (voice), as originating from vocal tract motor dysfunctions, are however inconsistent with rather deleterious outcomes based on post-surgical assessments. ObjectiveTo parametrically and intra-operatively investigate the effects of deep brain stimulation (DBS) on perceptual and acoustic speech and voice quality in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. MethodsWe performed an assessment of instantaneous intra-operative speech and voice quality changes in PD patients (n = 38) elicited by direct STN stimulations with variations of central stimulation features (depth, laterality, and intensity), separately for each hemisphere. ResultsFirst, perceptual assessments across several raters revealed that certain speech and voice symptoms could be improved with STN-DBS, but this seems largely restricted to right STN-DBS. Second, computer-based acoustic analyses of speech and voice features revealed that both left and right STN-DBS could improve dysarthric speech symptoms, but only right STN-DBS can considerably improve dysphonic symptoms, with left STN-DBS being restricted to only affect voice intensity features. Third, several subareas according to stimulation depth and laterality could be identified in the motoric STN proper and close to the associative STN with optimal (and partly suboptimal) stimulation outcomes. Fourth, low-to-medium stimulation intensities showed the most optimal and balanced effects compared to high intensities. ConclusionsSTN-DBS can considerably improve both speech and voice quality based on a carefully arranged stimulation regimen along central stimulation features.

Voice and Temporal Auditory Processing in Elderly People: A Correlation Study.

Introduction The voice and hearing can be affected to different degrees by aging, which can cause communication difficulties for elderly people. Vocal production requires effective temporal auditory processing at central levels within the nervous system, which can be compromised by the aging process. Objective To analyze the correlation between voice and temporal auditory processing in older adults. Materials and Methods A total of 40 elderly people aged 60 years or older were subdivided into 2 groups according to the presence or absence of vocal symptoms measured by the Voice Symptom Scale. All of the participants were submitted to auditory temporal tests, vocal self-assessment, and acoustic and perceptual auditory analyses of voice. Results Most of the subjects assessed had decreased voice intensity and normal variability in terms of vocal quality. The performance was normal in the Pitch Pattern Sequence test and altered in the Random Gap Detection test. In the Masking Period Pattern test, the detection thresholds for the target signal were increased in the presence of masking in different temporal target signal positions. Only pitch differed between the two groups. There were differences between the genders regarding frequency, shimmer, the overall severity of the alteration, and roughness. There was a correlation regarding temporal resolution ability and the overall severity of the alteration and roughness of the voice. Conclusion There is a central auditory impairment in temporal resolution which is correlated with vocal alterations in the elderly.

Vocal Demand Response to the Educational Setting Based Communication Scenarios: A Single Subject Study

Objectives. This was a single-subject study, aimed to demonstrate different vocal demand situations that are typical for primary school and teacher's vocal demand response under two acoustical conditions, with and without voice amplification, during five working days. Methods. The long-term voice dosimetry with Vocal Holter Med (PR.O. Voice Srl) was carried out on a 49-year-old female teacher with voice disorders during daily teaching activities. A sound field amplification system (SFAS) PentaClass Runa was installed in the classroom. Voice dosimetry was provided under two different acoustical conditions: without SFAS (2 days) and with SFAS (3 days). Results. Phonation time percentage, sound pressure level (SPL), SPL SD, fundamental frequency (F0), F0 SD, cycle, and distance doses were investigated in seven communication scenarios (lessons, group/individual classes, sports lessons in the gym and schoolyard, breaks, lunch breaks, and other activities). The median scores of all voice parameters differed significantly between different vocal demand contexts. The significant statistical difference in the vocal demand response was in the communication situations with and without SFAS. In addition, the number of children, reverberation time, and ambient air relative humidity impacted voice SPL and the cycle dose. Conclusions. Lessons, sports lessons held in the gym or schoolyard, breaks, and lunch breaks were considered as high vocal demand communication situations requiring higher voice intensity and fundamental frequency, higher phonation time percentage, cycle, and distance doses. Group/individual work and other teacher activities during the day, unrelated to direct work with students, were categorized as low vocal demand communication scenarios.

A comparative study of stretch-and-flow voice therapy versus Smith accent method in rehabilitation of hyperfunctional dysphonia: a randomized controlled trial

BackgroundThis work aims to compare between stretch-and-flow voice therapy and Smith accent method of voice therapy in treatment of hyperfunctional dysphonia in order to assess the benefit of using this new technique in its management. A randomized controlled trial was conducted at the Unit of Phoniatrics, Otorhinolaryngology Department, in the period from November 2020 to February 2023. A sample of 60 patients with hyperfunctional dysphonia was randomly divided into two groups; each group consisted of 30 patients: “group A” who received stretch-and-flow voice therapy (SnF) and “group B” who received Smith accent (SA) method of voice therapy. Assessment included auditory perceptual assessment (APA) using modified GRBAS scale and Arabic-voice handicap index (Arabic-VHI).ResultsThe study revealed significant improvement in grade of dysphonia, voice quality, and Arabic-VHI post-therapy for both groups. There was a significant improvement regarding voice pitch in SnF group only and in loudness of voice in SA group only.ConclusionSnF can be considered as an alternative approach for treating hyperfunctional dysphonia, offering a shorter duration, and potentially being a simpler alternative for patients who struggle with the more intricate rhythms of the Smith Aaccent voice therapy method.

Daily Speaking Time and Voice Intensity before and after Hearing Aid Rehabilitation in Adult Patients with Hearing Loss

Introduction: Hearing loss (HL) strongly impacts communication abilities and impairs social interactions. Moreover, it modifies the vocal parameters of affected patients. The effects of hearing rehabilitation through hearing aids (HA) on the vocal production of patients suffering from HL have not been thoroughly analyzed in the literature. The aim of this study was to use the ambulatory phonation monitor (APM), a portable vocal dosimeter, to evaluate the variations in the vocal production of a group of patients suffering from moderate-to-severe HL treated with HA and the relationship between such modifications and quality of life (QoL). Materials and Methods: Twenty-six patients suffering from a variable degree of HL and treated with HA have been enrolled. Each of them underwent an evaluation before and 4 months after rehabilitation with HA. The analysis of daily voice production was carried out with the APM, while subjective QoL data were collected through the Speech, Spatial, and Qualities questionnaire (SSQ) and the International Outcome Inventory for Hearing Aids (IOI-HA). The differences in phonatory measurements and subjective evaluations before and after HA rehabilitation were assessed using Wilcoxon signed rank test. The Spearman correlation test was used to analyze the correlation between phonatory measurements, auditory measurements, and SSQ scores. Results: Significant differences in the APM parameters before and after HA rehabilitation were found. After 4 months of HA use, we recorded a significant increase in phonation time and percentage of phonation time and a significant decrease in average amplitude in dB SPL. We also found a significant increase in the SSQ scores after HA rehabilitation. Finally, we were able to detect low but significant correlations between phonatory measurements and SSQ results. Conclusions: The APM proved to be a useful instrument in the evaluation of the benefits of HA and its measurements can be used as indicators of the participation in communication and social life of patients with HL, which are strongly related to QoL.

Speech Profile Of Pre-Service Teachers: Input To Speech Enhancement Program And Innovations

This investigation focused on the speech profile of pre-service teachers during the school year 2022- 2023 as input for a speech enhancement program and innovations. Specifically, attempts to determine the socio-demographic characteristics of respondents in terms of gender, age, high school type graduated, parents’ educational attainment, employment status, and estimated monthly income; determine speech profile in terms of Vocal Mechanism and Diction; identify their strengths and weaknesses in speech production; determine the significant relationship between speech profile and socio- demographic characteristics; and determine whether speech enhancement program or innovations may be introduced to improve weaknesses in speech production. A descriptive survey research design was used to gather information on the basic and speech profiles of 40 respondents. Results revealed, that respondents were generally female, 20-22 years old, graduated from public senior high school, with high school graduate parents, unemployed, and earned PhP 4,000- PhP8,000. Results showed that respondents were very strong in loudness, articulation, pronunciation, and even in reading rate. However, a closer examination of the data reveals that at least one-third were slow readers. Furthermore, an analysis revealed that females have louder voices than males, demonstrating a substantial relationship between gender and loudness of voice. As evidenced by the extremely significant relationship between rate and gender, females read faster than males. Results also showed that those with working moms could talk more articulately than those with jobless mothers. Finally, results demonstrated that pronunciation is unrelated to any demographic characteristics. A suitable speech enhancement program/innovation was designed to improve proficiency in speech production.

PHONOGRAM TEXTS AS AN OBJECT OF FORENSIC LINGUISTIC EXAMINATION

The present paper is dedicated to solving problems at the intersection of linguistics and the legal sphere. In particular, the study presents the experience of linguistic expertise of phonograms in solving the issue of distinguishing the specific semantics of the oral speech of a suspicious person in connection with homonymic phenomena between linguistic units manifested in the judicial process. The process of using the PRAAT computer program to determine the intonation contours of a subject's word is described and the level of reliability in solving the task is assessed. To make an objective conclusion about the semantics of the subject's speech, which has the same sound composition, i.e. the same form, but can express different meanings depending on the features of the prosodic complex, such as intonation, voice intensity, duration, all his speech acts become the subject of research. In this regard, in the linguistic examination of phonogram texts, the method of linguopragmatic analysis is applied, which is aimed at studying the words of the direct addressee (speaking subject), the addressee (listener) and the nature (style) of their interaction, the speech situation, strategies, and tactics of the speech of communicants (addressee and addressee). The paper emphasizes the importance of scientific conclusions in the theory of language in the field of forensic examination.