Publication date: Available online 25 April 2016
Source:Journal of Voice
Author(s): Xinlin Xu, Jingan Wang, Erin E. Devine, Yong Wang, Hua Zhong, Maxwell R. Courtright, Li Zhou, PeiYun Zhuang, Jack J. Jiang
ObjectiveThis study aimed to explore subglottal convergence angle measurement. We hypothesize that the angle will change with glottis closure condition. Changes to the angle may alter vocal fold stress distribution, which could result in vocal fold pathologies.MethodsThree vocal fold positions were evaluated by the degree of glottal closure and divided into three groups. Neck computed tomographic images of the subjects were gathered, and three-dimensional (3D) models of the vocal folds and the airway were reconstructed using Mimics software, through which the subglottal convergence angle was measured. Using one-way factor analysis of variance, we compared the angle among three groups. We explored the effect of the angle on vibration based on the material oblique section stress analysis.ResultsThe subglottal convergence angle was effectively measured from 3D models. The angle changed with degree of glottal closure, with statistically significant differences among the three groups (P < 0.01). Changes to the angle alter subglottal stress distribution in the subglottal shear or normal direction by the material oblique section stress analysis theory. Larger subglottal convergence angle might reduce subglottal pressure in the shear direction below the vocal folds, which would make vibration and vocal fold mucosal wave generation more difficult.Conclusion3D model generation from computed tomographic data is an effective method of measuring the subglottal convergence angle, which changes with the degree of glottis closure, and may affect subglottal pressure distribution in the subglottal shear or normal direction and influence vocal fold vibration.
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Τρίτη 26 Απριλίου 2016
An ICF Perspective on Voice-related Quality of Life of American Transgender Women
Publication date: Available online 25 April 2016
Source:Journal of Voice
Author(s): Adrienne B. Hancock
PurposeThe factors and correlates of voice-related quality of life (vQOL) in American transgender women (ie, male-to-female) were examined using two questionnaires and were reviewed in the context of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) model. This information will assist clinicians to be culturally and clinically competent providers of voice and communication feminization services.MethodsA diverse group of 81 transgender women completed a survey to report relevant demographic information, as well as the Voice Handicap Index and the Transgender Self-evaluation Questionnaire (TSEQ). Descriptive statistics for the overall levels of vQOL were calculated. Items from the TSEQ were sorted to correspond to the ICF components to allow for description and ranking of factors impacting health function. Spearman correlations were used to examine the relationships between questionnaire scores and to select demographic and gender transition characteristics (ie, personal factors in the ICF).ResultsThese transgender women reported a wide range of vQOL; some are severely restricted by their voice and communication, whereas others are not. The most common concerns are emotional reactions to activity limitations and participation restrictions. Personal factors related to demographics and gender transition generally were not significant contributors to the vQOL scores.ConclusionsIn addition to addressing the physiological functions of the voice, speech language pathologists should cultivate cultural competence and consider transgender clients' emotional reactions to voice function impairments and related life participation restrictions.
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Source:Journal of Voice
Author(s): Adrienne B. Hancock
PurposeThe factors and correlates of voice-related quality of life (vQOL) in American transgender women (ie, male-to-female) were examined using two questionnaires and were reviewed in the context of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) model. This information will assist clinicians to be culturally and clinically competent providers of voice and communication feminization services.MethodsA diverse group of 81 transgender women completed a survey to report relevant demographic information, as well as the Voice Handicap Index and the Transgender Self-evaluation Questionnaire (TSEQ). Descriptive statistics for the overall levels of vQOL were calculated. Items from the TSEQ were sorted to correspond to the ICF components to allow for description and ranking of factors impacting health function. Spearman correlations were used to examine the relationships between questionnaire scores and to select demographic and gender transition characteristics (ie, personal factors in the ICF).ResultsThese transgender women reported a wide range of vQOL; some are severely restricted by their voice and communication, whereas others are not. The most common concerns are emotional reactions to activity limitations and participation restrictions. Personal factors related to demographics and gender transition generally were not significant contributors to the vQOL scores.ConclusionsIn addition to addressing the physiological functions of the voice, speech language pathologists should cultivate cultural competence and consider transgender clients' emotional reactions to voice function impairments and related life participation restrictions.
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Phonetic Approaches of Laryngopharyngeal Reflux Disease: A Prospective Study
Publication date: Available online 25 April 2016
Source:Journal of Voice
Author(s): Jérôme R. Lechien, Véronique Delvaux, Kathy Huet, Mohamad Khalife, Anne-Françoise Fourneau, Myriam Piccaluga, Bernard Harmegnies, Sven Saussez
ObjectivesThe study aimed to explore the impact of the selection of the analyzed time interval on the significance of acoustic measurements used to investigate laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) treatment efficacy, and based on these results to develop an alternative statistical approach in data analysis focusing on individual patient vocal behavior.Study DesignThis is a prospective case series.MethodsFrom September 2013 to July 2015, 41 patients with a reflux finding score (RFS) > 7 and a reflux symptom index (RSI) > 13 were enrolled and treated with pantoprazole 20 mg twice daily and diet behavioral changes for 3 months. Voice recordings were performed at baseline and after 3 months of treatment. Most stable time intervals of 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 seconds, and a 1-second time interval positioned at mid-production, were subjected to acoustic analysis. Based on the latter, we developed an “informativeness coefficient” for each acoustic parameter that aimed at assessing its sensitivity to clinical resolution in the case of LPR disease.ResultsSignificant clinical improvement (RSI and RFS) was observed after treatment (P < 0.05). The acoustic analysis revealed that acoustic parameters significantly improving from pre- to posttreatment varied across time intervals. The duration and the position of the analyzed time interval in the production yielded considerable differences in the results. Analysis of the informativeness coefficient indicated that jitter, jitter percent, relative average perturbation (RAP), pitch perturbation quotient (PPQ), shimmer (ShdB), shimmer percent (Shim), amplitude perturbation quotient (APQ), and smoothed amplitude perturbation quotient (sAPQ) were the indices most sensitive to medical treatment efficacy, with a coefficient ranging from 75.86% to 86.21%.ConclusionsDepending on the selection of the time interval over which the acoustic parameters are measured, the potential effect of the treatment may or may not be statistically demonstrated. Future studies are needed to establish standardized methodological procedures for acoustic data analysis.
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Source:Journal of Voice
Author(s): Jérôme R. Lechien, Véronique Delvaux, Kathy Huet, Mohamad Khalife, Anne-Françoise Fourneau, Myriam Piccaluga, Bernard Harmegnies, Sven Saussez
ObjectivesThe study aimed to explore the impact of the selection of the analyzed time interval on the significance of acoustic measurements used to investigate laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) treatment efficacy, and based on these results to develop an alternative statistical approach in data analysis focusing on individual patient vocal behavior.Study DesignThis is a prospective case series.MethodsFrom September 2013 to July 2015, 41 patients with a reflux finding score (RFS) > 7 and a reflux symptom index (RSI) > 13 were enrolled and treated with pantoprazole 20 mg twice daily and diet behavioral changes for 3 months. Voice recordings were performed at baseline and after 3 months of treatment. Most stable time intervals of 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 seconds, and a 1-second time interval positioned at mid-production, were subjected to acoustic analysis. Based on the latter, we developed an “informativeness coefficient” for each acoustic parameter that aimed at assessing its sensitivity to clinical resolution in the case of LPR disease.ResultsSignificant clinical improvement (RSI and RFS) was observed after treatment (P < 0.05). The acoustic analysis revealed that acoustic parameters significantly improving from pre- to posttreatment varied across time intervals. The duration and the position of the analyzed time interval in the production yielded considerable differences in the results. Analysis of the informativeness coefficient indicated that jitter, jitter percent, relative average perturbation (RAP), pitch perturbation quotient (PPQ), shimmer (ShdB), shimmer percent (Shim), amplitude perturbation quotient (APQ), and smoothed amplitude perturbation quotient (sAPQ) were the indices most sensitive to medical treatment efficacy, with a coefficient ranging from 75.86% to 86.21%.ConclusionsDepending on the selection of the time interval over which the acoustic parameters are measured, the potential effect of the treatment may or may not be statistically demonstrated. Future studies are needed to establish standardized methodological procedures for acoustic data analysis.
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The Physiological Basis of Chinese Höömii Generation
Publication date: Available online 26 April 2016
Source:Journal of Voice
Author(s): Gelin Li, Qian Hou
ObjectiveThe study aimed to investigate the physiological basis of vibration mode of sound source of a variety of Mongolian höömii forms of singing in China.MethodsThe participant is a Mongolian höömii performing artist who was recommended by the Chinese Medical Association of Art. He used three types of höömii, namely vibration höömii, whistle höömii, and overtone höömii, which were compared with general comfortable pronunciation of /i:/ as control. Phonation was observed during /i:/. A laryngostroboscope (Storz) was used to determine vibration source-mucosal wave in the throat.ResultsFor vibration höömii, bilateral ventricular folds approximated to the midline and made contact at the midline during pronunciation. Ventricular and vocal folds oscillated together as a single unit to form a composite vibration (double oscillator) sound source. For whistle höömii, ventricular folds approximated to the midline to cover part of vocal folds, but did not contact each other. It did not produce mucosal wave. The vocal folds produced mucosal wave to form a single vibration sound source. For overtone höömii, the anterior two-thirds of ventricular folds touched each other during pronunciation. The last one-third produced the mucosal wave. The vocal folds produced mucosal wave at the same time, which was a composite vibration (double oscillator) sound source mode.ConclusionsThe Höömii form of singing, including mixed voices and multivoice, was related to the presence of dual vibration sound sources. Its high overtone form of singing (whistle höömii) was related to stenosis at the resonance chambers' initiation site (ventricular folds level).
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Source:Journal of Voice
Author(s): Gelin Li, Qian Hou
ObjectiveThe study aimed to investigate the physiological basis of vibration mode of sound source of a variety of Mongolian höömii forms of singing in China.MethodsThe participant is a Mongolian höömii performing artist who was recommended by the Chinese Medical Association of Art. He used three types of höömii, namely vibration höömii, whistle höömii, and overtone höömii, which were compared with general comfortable pronunciation of /i:/ as control. Phonation was observed during /i:/. A laryngostroboscope (Storz) was used to determine vibration source-mucosal wave in the throat.ResultsFor vibration höömii, bilateral ventricular folds approximated to the midline and made contact at the midline during pronunciation. Ventricular and vocal folds oscillated together as a single unit to form a composite vibration (double oscillator) sound source. For whistle höömii, ventricular folds approximated to the midline to cover part of vocal folds, but did not contact each other. It did not produce mucosal wave. The vocal folds produced mucosal wave to form a single vibration sound source. For overtone höömii, the anterior two-thirds of ventricular folds touched each other during pronunciation. The last one-third produced the mucosal wave. The vocal folds produced mucosal wave at the same time, which was a composite vibration (double oscillator) sound source mode.ConclusionsThe Höömii form of singing, including mixed voices and multivoice, was related to the presence of dual vibration sound sources. Its high overtone form of singing (whistle höömii) was related to stenosis at the resonance chambers' initiation site (ventricular folds level).
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Δευτέρα 25 Απριλίου 2016
Tinnitus Talk
Tinnitus is a common condition that affects approximately one out of five people at some point in their life. Yet, the irritating symptoms can often make it feel as though you are the only one suffering. It can also be challenging to keep up with all of the latest research and to find others who can share their experiences with the many different treatment strategies that are available for tinnitus. Fortunately, Tinnitus Talk provides one central location that you can visit to find out everything you need about living with constant sounds in your ear.
Catch Up On the Latest Research
Whether you are interested in genetic therapy or inner ear cell regeneration, you will find what you are looking for on Tinnitus Talk. Every day, members of the forum add new articles that explain the latest science behind tinnitus treatments. You can also read the opinions of others who are both inside and outside of the scientific community. Knowing the latest research will give you a starting point when discussing potential treatments with your physician.
Chat with Doctors
Sometimes, you may have a question that only a doctor can answer, but it’s after your regular doctor’s hours. Or, you may be curious about something you are nervous about bringing up in front of someone you know. On Tinnitus Talk, several doctors are part of the community, and they use their free time to educate others about tinnitus. While they cannot comment on individual cases due to the need for an exam, they can provide general information about things they see every day in their practice.
Find Peer Support
Although your family and friends try to provide support, only someone with tinnitus can truly understand what you are going through. Tinnitus Talk has several different forums where you can meet other people with your specific type of tinnitus. There are also areas where you can chat about the emotional aspects of living with the condition, or you can enjoy an off-topic chat to get your mind off of it. Whichever you choose, you can know that you have found a friend who truly understands tinnitus.
When you live with tinnitus, it is important to have a full range of support. For this reason, Tinnitus Talk is a place where many people go to find friends and information that can help with treatment and coping strategies. By exploring the forum, you can learn more than you ever thought you could about managing your symptoms.
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An Investigation of Language Environment Analysis Measures for Spanish–English Bilingual Preschoolers From Migrant Low-Socioeconomic-Status Backgrounds
Purpose
The current study was designed to (a) describe average hourly Language Environment Analysis (LENA) data for preschool-age Spanish–English bilinguals (SEBs) and typically developing monolingual peers and (b) compare LENA data with mean length of utterance in words (MLUw) and total number of words (TNW) calculated on a selected sample of consecutive excerpts of audio files (CEAFs).
Method
Investigators examined average hourly child vocalizations from daylong LENA samples for 42 SEBs and 39 monolingual English-speaking preschoolers. The relationship between average hourly child vocalizations, conversational turns, and adult words from the daylong samples and MLUw from a 50-utterance CEAF was examined and compared between groups.
Results
MLUw, TNW, average hourly child vocalizations, and conversational turns were lower for young SEBs than monolingual English-speaking peers. Average hourly child vocalizations were not strongly related to MLUw performance for monolingual or SEB participants (r = .29, r = .25, respectively). In a similar manner, average hourly conversational turns were not strongly related to MLUw for either group (r = .22, r = .21, respectively).
Conclusions
Young SEBs from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds showed lower average performance on LENA measures, MLUw, and TNW than monolingual English-speaking peers. MLUw from monolinguals were also lower than typical expectations when derived from CEAFs. LENA technology may be a promising tool for communication sampling with SEBs; however, more research is needed to establish norms for interpreting MLUw and TNW from selected CEAF samples.from #Audiology via xlomafota13 on Inoreader http://ift.tt/1Uy6hl4
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Exploring the Utility of a School-Age Narrative Microstructure Index: Proportion of Restricted Utterances
Purpose
This research attempted to replicate Hoffman's 2009 finding that the proportion of narrative utterances with semantic or syntactic errors (i.e., ≥ 14% “restricted utterances”) can differentiate school-age children with typical development from those with language impairment with a sensitivity of 83% and specificity of 88%.
Method
Methods similar to Hoffman (2009) were used to evaluate an existing set of narratives from 16 age-matched pairs of 8- to 9-year-old children, half with known language impairment. Transcripts were segmented into T-units; a code of [RESTRICTED] was assigned to any utterance with semantic or syntactic errors.
Results
A Welch's t test for independent samples revealed a statistically significant difference in the mean proportion of restricted utterances between the two groups after accommodation for an outlier with typical development. A cutoff of ≥ 14% restricted utterances replicated Hoffman's (2009) sensitivity but not specificity. Post hoc analysis of specific error types found sensitivity and specificity rates similar to Hoffman's as well as a significant difference in means when using a proportion of sentence–internal morphosyntactic errors.
Conclusion
Results support further exploration of utterance-level error coding for diagnostic purposes and future development of this approach to meet clinical assessment needs.from #Audiology via xlomafota13 on Inoreader http://ift.tt/1q4bKm5
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