RESUMO
Velopharyngeal coarticulation refers to the influence of a nasal consonant on preceding segments or the following segments during continuous speech. Coupling of the nasal resonating space to the oropharyngeal cavity alters the vocal tract formants in complex ways. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of nasal coarticulation and /a/ vowel frequency formants in cleft palate Persian speaking children. In present cross-sectional study, voice samples of 30 cleft palate children ranging 4-12 years were investigated. Participants were asked to repeat /ama/ three times and vowel /a/ after presentation of an auditory model. Afterwards, obtained samples were analyzed using Praat [version 5.3.13] software. Investigating the effect of nasalization on formants of /a/ vowel before and after nasal consonant and comparing with single prolonged /a/, "Bi-variate analysis of variance test" were used. There were no significant differences of fundamental frequency [F0] between /a/ which proceeds nasal consonant and /a/ follows nasal consonant, the before nasal consonant /a/ versus single /a/ and the after nasal consonant /a/ versus single /a/ in normal and cleft palate children [P>0.05]. However, findings revealed statistically significant differences of first, second and third formants [F1, F2, F3] between three situations [p<0.001]. In the cleft palate children, F1, F2, F3 in /a/ before nasal consonant affected by anticipatory nasal coarticulation and in /a/ after nasal consonant affected by carry-over nasal coarticulation. This study showed nasal coarticulation and nasalization result in decreasing F1, F2, F3 in /a/ vowel
RESUMO
One third of patients with Parkinson's disease [PD] have mentioned "dysphonia" as their most debilitating communication deficit. Patient-based measurements, such as Voice Handicap Index [VHI] add necessary supplementary information to clinical and physiological assessment. There are a few studies about relation between VHI and disease severity in PD, although none of them showed any significant correlation. The goal of this study was to find correlation between these variables in Iranian PD patients. This cross-sectional, analytical and non-interventional study was done on 23 PD patients who reported a voice disorder related to their disease. They were selected from attendants of movement disorders clinic of Hazrat Rasool Akram Hospital. The relationship between disease severity [according to Hoehn and Yahr/H and Y and Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale-part3 /UPDRS-III] and VHI questionnaire [and its 3 domains] was investigated based on patients' sex, UPDRS-III score H and Y and VHI. Total VHI and its 3 domains had no relationship with disease severity [H and Y] in all patients and by sex separation. However, there was a positive correlation between VHI and disease severity [UPDRS-III] [r=0.485]. There was also a relation between physical and functional domains of VHI and UPDRS [r[P]=0.530, r[F]=0.479] while no relationship observed regarding sex differences. 9 out of 18 UPDRS-III items had strong relationship with VHI [total and 3subscales]. Iranian PD patients feel handicap according to voice disorder caused by PD. Patient satisfaction of voice decreases with the disease severity and progression. A larger sample size is necessary to find relationship in genders. VHI is an important issue could be offered to be used in PD beside other assessments