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Biomedical subjects

S B Leder

Publications and source records attributed to S B Leder.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

Perceptual rankings of speech quality produced with one-way tracheostomy speaking valves.

Perceptual speech quality rankings, mechanical functioning, and maintenance of respiration as measured by oxygen saturation were determined for four different one-way tracheostomy speaking valves. Results indicated significant differences in speech quality rankings, with the Montgomery and Passy-Muir valves ranked significantly better than the Kistner and Olympic valves, and the Olympic valve ranked significantly better than the Kistner valve. The Passy-Muir valve was identified with the best speech quality most often by both listeners and subjects, and exhibited the fewest clinically relevant mechanical problems. Maintenance of respiration was not affected by use of any of the valves studied.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Long-term changes in vocal quality following Isshiki thyroplasty type I.

Long-term changes in vocal quality, pre-Isshiki thyroplasty type I and up to 4 years 4 months post-thyroplasty, were determined in a group of five subjects exhibiting unilateral vocal fold paralysis. Thyroplasty type I medializes the paralyzed fold by using a Silastic implant for external compression of the paralyzed vocal fold. No periphonosurgical or post-phonosurgical complications were noted. Longitudinal evaluation resulted in significantly higher vocal fundamental frequency, significant moderation of habitual vocal intensity, and significantly longer maximum phonation time. The thyroplasty group exhibited significantly more breath groups than control subjects both prethyroplasty and post-thyroplasty; within the thyroplasty group, a reduction in breath groups was exhibited prethyroplasty as compared to post-thyroplasty. The long-term positive changes observed in fundamental frequency, intensity, maximum phonation time, and breath groups were attributed to medialization of the paralyzed vocal fold.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Speaking fundamental frequency, intensity, and rate of adventitiously profoundly hearing-impaired adult women.

No objective group data on speaking fundamental frequency (F0), intensity, or rate have been reported on the speech of adventitiously profoundly hearing-impaired adult women. Results of the present study showed that F0 was significantly higher, intensity significantly greater, and speaking rate significantly slower for 12 adventitiously profoundly hearing-impaired adult women than for 20 normal-hearing control subjects of the same sex and approximate age. Based on these objective data, aural rehabilitation is recommended for the improvement and monitoring of speaking F0, intensity, and rate abnormalities in the adventitiously profoundly hearing impaired.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

A perceptual evaluation of the speech of adventitiously deaf adult males.

The present study investigated the effects of adventitious deafness on perceptual judgments of segmental and suprasegmental speech production skills. Subjects were 25 adventitiously deaf and 10 normal-hearing adult male speakers. Twelve subjects were classified as aidable profound (AP) and 13 subjects were classified as unaidable profound (UP). Each subject was judged by 15 listeners, first on seven speech and voice variables and, second, on whether they were adventitiously deaf or normal-hearing and, if adventitiously deaf, if speech rehabilitation was warranted. Both the AP and UP adventitiously deaf subjects were judged significantly different from each other and from normal-hearing subjects on all seven variables. They were, in hierarchical order: intonation, pitch, rate, nasality, vowel duration, articulation, and intensity. Aural rehabilitation was judged to be warranted in 49% of the speakers identified as being adventitiously deaf, specifically 26% of the AP speakers and 74% of the UP speakers. This finding indicates that auditory information is a necessary component for maintaining accurate speech and voice production abilities following onset of profound hearing loss after the acquisition of an adult phonological system.

Aged↗
PubMed1990

Longitudinal effects of single-channel cochlear implantation on voice quality.

No studies have reported longitudinal group data on the voice characteristics of adult participants with adventitious profound sensorineural hearing loss before and after single-channel cochlear implantation. This study investigated voice fundamental frequency, intensity, and speaking duration preimplantation and longitudinally 1-day, 6-months, and 1-year poststimulation. Results revealed only fundamental frequency 1-day poststimulation to be significantly different from preimplantation. Trends for all three variables, i.e., lowered Fo, reduced intensity, and shortened speaking duration (a faster rate), however, moved toward the measures that typify normal-hearing speakers.

Aged↗
PubMed1990

Longitudinal voice quality changes following Isshiki thyroplasty type I: the Yale experience.

Longitudinal voice quality changes following Isshiki thyroplasty type I were investigated in a group of 13 patients exhibiting unilateral vocal fold paralysis. Thyroplasty type I medializes the paralyzed fold by using a Silastic implant for external lateral compression of the abducted fold. No perioperative complications were experienced. We observed significantly higher voice fundamental frequency, significantly louder voice intensity, and significantly longer maximum phonation time, both immediately following phonosurgery and up to 3 months postoperatively. Surgical refinements of thyroplasty type I are described.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Verbal communication for the ventilator-dependent patient: voice intensity with the Portex "Talk" tracheostomy tube.

A patient's ability to communicate is critical to overall medical care, psychological functioning, and social interactions. Voice intensity levels produced by 20 patients with Portex "Talk" cuffed speaking tracheostomy tubes were investigated at three different airflow rates. Results indicated that audible and intelligible speech was produced with significantly greater intensity (P less than .001) over ambient room noise at 5 l/minute, 10 l/minute, and 15 l/minute of airflow. Also, significantly greater voice intensity (P less than .001) was noted as airflow increased from 5 l/minute to 10 l/minute and from 10 l/minute to 15 l/minute. The criteria, rationale, and importance of using a speaking tracheostomy tube with cognitively intact ventilator-dependent patients are discussed. The specific advantages and disadvantages of the Portex "Talk" tracheostomy tube are delineated. A case study is included.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Stomal complications and airflow line problems of the Communi-Trach I cuffed talking tracheotomy tube.

There have been no reports of stomal complications and airflow line problems associated with a cuffed talking tracheotomy tube. However, the results of this study showed that stomal complications, in the form of pressure necrosis and wound extension, and problems with airflow line kinking occurred with a 40% and 80% frequency, respectively. Solutions to both difficulties are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Voice intensity of patients using a Communi-Trach I cuffed speaking tracheostomy tube.

Voice intensity levels produced by 20 patients with cuffed speaking tracheostomy tubes (Communi-Trach I) at three different airflow rates were investigated. Results indicated that audible and intelligible speech was produced with significantly greater intensity over ambient room noise at 5 l/minute, 10 l/minute, and 15 l/minute of airflow. Criteria for use, common causes of malfunctioning, and rehabilitation techniques necessary for the successful use of cuffed speaking tracheostomy tubes are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Speech segment duration measurements in adult speakers with repaired cleft palate and hypernasality.

Consonant closure duration, vowel duration preceding word-final stop consonants, and total VCVC utterance duration were measured in order to investigate if normal durations in these variables were exhibited in subjects with cleft palate and hypernasality. The data revealed no significant differences among three adult subject groups (noncleft, repaired cleft with mild hypernasality, and repaired cleft with severe hypernasality) on any of the duration measurements investigated, suggesting that speech timing for these features were not significantly altered by the presence of the nasal air leak. Speakers in the two hypernasal groups, however, showed smaller differences between vowel durations in voiced and voiceless stop environments than did speakers without cleft palate. There were significant differences among groups in durational cues between vowel types and between voicing features of stop consonants, both of which were in agreement with previous research.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Immediate effects of cochlear implantation on voice quality.

Seminal quantitative group acoustic data are presented on voice quality changes following electrical stimulation (ES) of the auditory nerve via a single-channel cochlear implant (CI). It was found that the fundamental frequency (Fo) of our patients was significantly lower after the first day of ES, while intensity and speaking duration were not significantly different from pre-CI values. These results suggest that the CI provides enough frequency information less than 300 Hz to permit immediate and independent alterations in voice Fo towards normal-hearing speakers values. Our findings also indicate that intensity and speaking duration require additional time before differences found become significant. Longitudinal data are still needed to determine if Fo continues to lower and if intensity and/or speaking duration change significantly to approximate values observed in normal-hearing individuals.

Cochlear Implants↗
PubMed1987

Standardization of four videotaped tests of speechreading ranging in task difficulty.

Repeated measures are needed to assess speechreading ability of prospective cochlear implant candidates and to follow their progress over the course of treatment. To perform such measures, high quality color videotaped versions of four speechreading tests were constructed using a male and a female speaker. Materials were selected to provide gradations in task difficulty ranging from responses to questions with the topic known, to verbatim repetition, to abstraction of information from a spoken paragraph in order to answer questions. The tests were: (1) NAL/West Haven modification; (2) Iowa-Keaster, Forms A and B; (3) CID Everyday Sentences; and (4) Gold Rush Paragraph. The tapes were standardized by presentation to young adult normal subjects. Results indicated that a range of performance could be measured by using the present tests as a battery, although the anticipated ranking of tests was not obtained.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Speaking rate of adventitiously deaf male cochlear implant candidates.

No objective group data on speaking rate or speaking duration have been reported on the speech of adventitiously profoundly hearing-impaired adults. Results of the present study showed that speaking rate, i.e., number of syllables per second, was significantly slower and speaking duration was significantly longer for 25 adventitiously profoundly hearing-impaired adult male cochlear implant candidates than for 10 normal-hearing control subjects. The factors of length of time since onset of profound hearing loss and hearing aid use did not significantly affect speaking rate. Based on these objective data, a rationale and method are presented for aural rehabilitation of the profoundly hearing-impaired who exhibit speaking rate abnormalities.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Voice intensity of prospective cochlear implant candidates and normal hearing adult males.

Voice intensity in 19 prospective cochlear implant candidates, all adventitiously profoundly sensorineurally deaf adult males, was investigated. For the first time with objective data, it was shown that such deaf subjects spoke with significantly increased voice intensity and with greater intensity fluctuations than normal hearing male speakers. Neither length of time of profound deafness nor history of hearing aid use significantly affected voice intensity. Based on quantitative data, rehabilitation of voice intensity problems in the adventitiously deaf is indicated.

Aged↗
PubMed1986

Vibrotactile stimulation for the adventitiously deaf: an alternative to cochlear implantation.

Acoustic correlates of the prosodic features identifying English contrastive stress, ie, fundamental frequency (Fo), duration and intensity, and listener perceptions were investigated in a profoundly adventitiously deaf subject (D) pre/postvibrotactile stimulation, and in an age-peer normally-hearing person as a control (N). Stimuli were a group of general American English words in which a change of function from noun to verb was associated with a shift of stress from initial to final syllable, eg, CON'test vs conTEST'. Prior to vibrotactile stimulation, D was unable to produce contrastive stress correctly. Only final syllable intensity differences were noted, but proved to be inadequate cues for contrastive stress. Vibrotactile stimulation resulted in changes, specifically significantly higher Fo for initial stressed vs unstressed syllables, significantly louder intensity for final stressed vs unstressed syllables, and significantly longer duration for final stressed vs unstressed syllables. Perceptually, listeners judged D's contrastive stress placement as always occurring on the final syllable previbrotactile stimulation and as 78% correct postvibrotactile stimulation. N's contrastive stress placement was always correct. It was concluded that use of vibrotactile stimulation enhanced D's production and resulted in listeners' perceptions of correct prosody.

Cochlear Implants↗
PubMed1986

Reacquisition of contrastive stress in an adventitiously deaf speaker using a single-channel cochlear implant.

Acoustic correlates of contrastive stress, i.e., fundamental frequency (F0), duration, and intensity, and listener perceptions of stress, were investigated in a profoundly deaf subject (RS) pre/post single-channel cochlear implant and longitudinally, and compared to the overall patterns of age-peer profoundly deaf (JM) and normally hearing subjects (DL). The stimuli were a group of general American English words in which a change of function from noun to verb is associated with a shift of stress from initial to final syllable, e.g., CON'trast versus conTRAST'. Precochlear implant, RS was unable to produce contrastive stress correctly. Hearing one day post-stimulation resulted in significantly higher F0 for initial and final stressed versus unstressed syllables. Four months post-stimulation, RS maintained significantly higher F0 on stressed syllables, as well as generalization of significantly increased intensity and longer syllable duration differences for all stressed versus unstressed syllables. Perceptually, listeners judged RS's contrastive stress placement as incorrect precochlear implant and as always correct post-cochlear implant. JM's contrastive stress was judged as 96% correct, and DL's contrastive stress placement was 100% correct. It was concluded that RS reacquired all acoustic correlates needed for appropriate differentiation of contrastive stress with longitudinal use of the cochlear implant.

Acoustic Stimulation↗