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Biomedical subjects

S C McFarlane

Publications and source records attributed to S C McFarlane.

9 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1994

Effects of vocal loudness on nasalance measures.

The effects of vocal loudness on measures of nasalance was evaluated. Subjects were 30 young adult females with no history of communication disorder who spoke two stimulus passages at three levels of vocal loudness. One passage contained no nasal consonants (Zoo Passage) and the other contained about 35% nasal consonants (Nasal Sentences). The results indicate that there was no significant difference in nasalance measures across the three levels of vocal loudness for either passage. However, when the nasalance measures for the three conditions of vocal loudness were ranked from low to high for each subject, there was an interesting tendency for a subject's lowest nasalance score to occur in the loudest vocal condition on the Nasal Sentences but not for the non-nasal speech material of the Zoo Passage. The implications of these findings with regard to velopharyngeal function are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

The relationship between nasalance and nasality in children with cleft palate.

This study correlated measures of nasalance computed by the Nasometer with listener judgments of nasality. The subjects were 25 children with craniofacial disorders who spoke three passages, each containing a different proportion of nasal consonants. The results showed a significant but modest correlation between nasalance and nasality when nasal consonants (/m, n, eta/) were not included in the speech passage. When nasal consonants were included in the passage nasalance was unrelated to judgments of hypernasality.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

A critical view of the yawn-sigh as a voice therapy technique.

The purpose of this study was to take a critical look at a voice therapy technique known as the yawn-sigh. The voiced sigh as an approach in voice therapy has had increased use in recent years, particularly with problems of vocal hyperfunction. In this study, the physiology of the yawn-sigh was studied with video nasoendoscopy in eight normal subjects; their taped voices were also studied acoustically for possible fundamental frequency and format changes in producing selected vowels under normal and sigh conditions. Although each subject was given a model by the examiner of a yawn-sigh, one of the eight subjects could not produce a true yawn-sigh. Endoscopic findings for seven of the eight subjects performing the yawn-sigh demonstrated retracted elevation of the tongue, a lower positioning of the larynx, and a widened pharynx. Acoustic analyses for the seven subjects producing the sigh found a marked lowering of the second and third formants. Implications for using the yawn-sigh in voice therapy are given, such as using a modified "silent" yawn-sigh, as an easy method for producing greater vocal tract relaxation.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Vibratory characteristics of Teflon-injected and noninjected paralyzed vocal folds.

This study compared the vibratory characteristics of normal vocal folds, Teflon-injected paralyzed vocal folds, and noninjected paralyzed vocal folds. Laryngeal videostroboscopy under eight phonatory conditions showed that the Teflon-injected vocal folds were adynamic. The noninjected vocal folds, however, vibrated during each of the phonatory conditions although not necessarily like a normal vocal fold. In terms of vocal fold physiology, it appeared that the noninjected paralyzed vocal folds were too compliant, whereas the Teflon-injected vocal folds were too stiff. Because vocal fold paralysis is often treated in voice therapy with "digital manipulation" and "head turning," the effect of these techniques on vocal fold vibration was also studied. The results showed that digital manipulation was superior to head turning for improving glottal closure but that neither technique appeared to influence the periodicity, amplitude, or extent of vocal fold vibration for either the injected or noninjected vocal folds.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

Latency of vocalization onset for stutterers and nonstutterers under conditions of auditory and visual cueing.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether stutters and nonstutterers differed in latency of vocalization onset as a function of auditory and visual stimulus presentations. Twelve adult stutterers and 12 adult nonstutterers were compared for phonation onset latency under conditions of visual, right ear auditory, and left ear auditory cueing. Analysis of the data indicated that (a) overall phonation onset time did not differ significantly between the groups, (b) no significant differences were found for phonation onset time under conditions of combined auditory cueing, (c) stutterers were significantly slower for /pae/when auditory cueing was presented to either the left or right ear, (d) stutters were significantly slower for /pae/ and /bae/ when the values were combined for the left ear, and (e) there were not significant differences between stutterers' and non nonstutterers' phonation onset times under visual cueing. The results are interpreted to implicate a possible role of auditory system functioning in stutterers' motor control for speech tasks such as phonation onset.

Acoustic Stimulation↗
PubMed1978

Neural response time of stutterers and nonstutterers in selected oral motor tasks.

Neural response time (NRT) was compared for 12 adult stutterers and 12 matched normal speakers on two verbal tasks (production of /pae/ and /bae/) and one oral, nonverbal task (lip closure) in response to visual and auditory stimulation. The auditory response stimulus was presented separately to the left and right ears, and the visual stimulus to both eyes. NRT was defined as the time interval between stimulus offset and the onset of electromyographic (EMG) activity from orbicularis oris superior muscle. Results show, in general, that stutterers are slower in NRT for all response tasks in both stimulus modes. Significant differences were found, however, for only the auditory mode. Analyses of the differences between and within groups for response tasks and stimulus modes are discussed in terms of recent research in and theory of timing disturbances in stuttering.

Acoustic Stimulation↗