[The sound intensity after cordectomy of type II-III]. / L'intensité sonore après cordectomie de type II-III.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this paper is to compare the intensity of the French oral vowels of 10 patients after cordectomies of types II or III with a group of 10 healthy subjects. This surgery removes the mucosa, the ligament and a part of the vocal muscle of the touched vocal fold, which causes a less efficient closure and a vibratory asymmetry. Consequently, glottal leaks associated with a difficult preservation of the subglottic pressure (PSG) can appear. The intensity is mainly bound to the strength of adduction of the vocal folds and to the management of the PSG. In these conditions, the quality of the control of this parameter by our patients may be altered. METHODS: The intensity (in dB) was measured on three vowels [a, i, u] produced in an isolated context (n= 60). This parameter was also measured on this same vowels surounded by stop consonants, which results in logatomes of type CV1.CV2.CVC3 (n= 360). RESULTS: We show particularly that the surgery does not alter the parameter of the intensity. The differences between patients and control subjects for isolated productions result from compensatory strategies. We also highlight an increase of the intensity in voiced context for both groups. CONCLUSIONS: The patients treated by cordectomies of types II-III keep a powerful sound. The intrinsic characteristics of the intensity of the vowels are maintained after this surgery.

[A perceptual study of question and assertive modalities after vertical partial laryngectomies]. / Etude perceptive des modalités interrogatives et assertives après laryngectomies partielles verticales.

OBJECTIVES: Our study concerns the perception of the contrast between assertives and question modalities in patients having undergone a cordectomy or a vertical partial laryngectomy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Four patients (2 cordectomies and 2 vertical partial laryngectomies), age from 57 to 66 year old (average 61; median 61) were included. They were recorded while producing logatomes, constituents and sentences in the assertive and question modalities. Perceptual evaluation was analysed using Praat software. The assessors (consisting of 8 French native auditors, 4 men and 4 women) evaluated 80 stimuli. RESULTS: Our results show a good average rate of modality recognition with a good intelligibility for these patients. The more frequent errors were in the vertical partial laryngectomies group who had more unpredictable modulations. CONCLUSION: Our small sample does not allow us to generalize but our first observations tend to show that these patients have a good capability in producing question and assertive modalities.