Relationship Between Tasked Vocal Effort Levels and Measures of Vocal Intensity

Purpose Patients with voice problems commonly report increased vocal effort, regardless of the underlying pathophysiology. Previous studies investigating vocal effort and voice production have used a range of methods to quantify vocal effort. The goals of the current study were to use the Borg CR100 effort scale to (a) demonstrate the relation between vocal intensity or vocal level (dB) and tasked vocal effort goals and (b) investigate the repeated measure reliability of vocal level at tasked effort level goals. Method Three types of speech (automatic, read, and structured spontaneous) were elicited at four vocal effort level goals on the Borg CR100 scale (2, 13, 25, and 50) from 20 participants (10 females and 10 males). Results Participants' vocal level reliably changed approximately 5 dB between the elicited effort level goals; this difference was statistically significant and repeatable. Biological females produced a voice with consistently less intensity for a vocal effort level goal compared to biological males. Conclusions The results indicate the utility of the Borg CR100 in tracking effort in voice production that is repeatable with respect to vocal level (dB). Future research will investigate other metrics of voice production with the goal of understanding the mechanisms underlying vocal effort and the external environmental influences on the perception of vocal effort.

Articulation contact pressures scaled to the physiologic range of the tongue in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: A pilot study

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to compare the percentage of the maximum isometric lingual strength range at which lingual-alveolar consonants are produced (%P_max) by people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (PALS) compared to people without the disease measured at study entry, and then 3 and 6 months later.

DESIGN

Prospective cohort comparison study over time.

METHODS

Ten people with ALS and nine without produced the consonants /t, d, s, z, l, n/ in real words within sentences as the articulatory contact pressure (ACP) between the tongue tip and palate was sensed by a miniature transducer. Maximum isometric tongue pressing values also were obtained to allow calculation of %P_max. Data were analyzed to compare PALS with bulbar symptoms, PALS with spinal-only symptoms, and people without ALS.

RESULTS

%P_max did not differ between any of the three participant groups at any of the three measurement times. Maximum isometric pressure did decrease significantly in both ALS groups when comparing baseline to 3- and 6-months later. Maximum pressures remained stable for the non-ALS group at the three measurement times.

CONCLUSION

The results suggest that speech motor activity of the tongue in people with ALS may be scaled relative to their overall tongue strength, such that the %P_max does not change as the tongue gets progressively weaker.