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Biomedical subjects

G Bertino

Publications and source records attributed to G Bertino.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1998

Dynamic behavior of the Provox and Staffieri prostheses for voice rehabilitation following total laryngectomy.

The present study evaluated the differences in aerodynamic behavior between the 1990 Provox and 1986 Staffieri voice prostheses for total laryngectomy patients. Both prostheses were submitted to in vitro laboratory testing to assess their aerodynamic behavior under different conditions of air flow through the valve and tracheal side pressure. In addition, six patients using the Provox and another six using the Staffieri prostheses were submitted to a dynamic study of phonation. This latter study evaluated the intratracheal pressure corresponding to the different intensities at which the vowel sound /a/ was pronounced. In vitro measurements revealed significant differences between the two prostheses, with the best results achieved with Provox. In contrast, the in vivo measurements did not reveal any significant differences between the two groups of patients in the 50-79 dBSPL range, although there was some difference at intensities equal to or greater than 80 dBSPL. Again, in this latter case the best results were achieved with the Provox. However, the ideal prosthesis has yet to be found. In some patients, the so-called low-resistance prostheses fail to maintain their aerodynamic performances, most likely because anatomic resistors interfere with the effort (i.e., pressure) required to produce a voice. At present the choice of prosthesis is best determined on an individual patient-to-patient basis.

Aged↗
PubMed1998

[Analysis of qualitative voice and speech quality judgments after total laryngectomy].

The present work analyzes subjective judgement of the voice and speech qualities of intelligibility, pleasantness and acceptability expressed for two groups of total laryngectomy patients. The first group was composed of ten patients who had undergone esophageal voice rehabilitation. The second had nine patients with tracheo-esophageal voice rehabilitation. A group of ten listeners was set up to evaluate the voice and language parameters. These were all persons who, because of their jobs (i.e. physicians, nurses, rehabilitation therapists, etc.), had nearly daily contacts with laryngectomized patients. The listeners had to evaluate the acoustic and qualitative features of the voices reproduced on magnetic tape and score them on a specially designed sheet. This study has revealed a significant difference in the voice and speech acceptability scores for the two different groups of patients. In fact, most of the listeners found the tracheo-esophageal voice more pleasant and more acceptable than the esophageal voice.

Humans↗
PubMed1996

Spectrographic differences between tracheal-esophageal and esophageal voice.

In order to evaluate the results of voice and speech rehabilitation after total laryngectomy some acoustic parameters (fundamental frequency, waveform perturbation) were examined in 18 total laryngectomy patients. Eight of these subjects had previously been surgically rehabilitated with a tracheal-esophageal phonatory valve while 10 had been submitted to esophageal speech rehabilitation. Analysis of results has shown that tracheal-esophageal voices are more likely to provide a stable fundamental frequency; there is also a tendency toward more clearly defined harmonics; jitter and shimmer are more similar to the values of normal subjects compared with those observed in esophageal speech. Such results seem to depend on a more regular vibration pattern in the pharyngeal-esophageal segment, due to the more efficient expiratory flow in tracheal-esophageal speech. Moreover we were able to demonstrate a correlation between the objective parameters evaluated and the subjective score on speech acceptability.

Humans↗
PubMed1996

Temporary threshold shift induced by physical exercise.

Several studies have demonstrated how physical exercise can increase noise-induced temporary threshold shifts (TTS), but until now no evidence of TTS exclusively attributable to physical activity has yet been reported. In this study the hearing pure-tone thresholds of 10 subjects were evaluated at rest and at three designated times following the end of a work load corresponding to 50% and 80% of the maximum oxygen uptake (VO2 max). The results obtained demonstrate a definite effect of physical exercise on the hearing threshold at 6000 and 8000 Hz and that the higher the frequency, the greater the chance of detecting a TTS. Evaluation of the variations in some physiologic parameters (VO2 max, blood lactate and blood pressure) could not statistically correlate the same with TTS. The physiopathologic mechanisms responsible for TTS are still unknown and require further studies which should make allowances for the deferred effects of metabolic variations on the cochlear function.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Delta infection in eastern Sicily.

Sera from 619 HBsAg+ subjects living in eastern Sicily, consecutively collected from 1975-1985, were tested for markers of delta virus (HDV) infection: delta antigen (HDAg), antibodies to delta (anti-HDIg), and also for antibodies to HBcore of IgM type (anti-HBcIgM) and for the system HBe-anti-HBe. The subjects included 210 asymptomatic carriers, 238 patients with acute hepatitis and 171 patients with chronic liver disease. HDAg was not found in any of the samples. Anti-HD was found in 28/171 (16.3%) patients with chronic liver disease, in 13/210 (6%) asymptomatic HBsAg carriers and in 13/238 (5.4%) patients with acute hepatitis. None of our patients were drug addicts. One had a history of blood transfusion, and nine came from the same family unit. The prevalence of HDV infection in eastern Sicily is lower than in other areas of Sicily possibly because of the lower percentage of HBsAg carriers in the local population. Parenteral transmission of HDV does not seem to play a major role in our area, while the familial clustering suggests close body contact as an important way of spread.

Adolescent↗