An Acoustic Study of the Temporal Characteristics of Nasalization in Children with and without Cleft Palate

2004 ◽  
Vol 41 (5) ◽  
pp. 535-543 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seunghee Ha ◽  
Hyunsub Sim ◽  
Minje Zhi ◽  
David P. Kuehn
Keyword(s):  
Cleft Palate ◽  
Temporal Patterns ◽  
Acoustic Signals ◽  
Relative Duration ◽  
Temporal Characteristics ◽  
Vowel Context ◽  
Acoustic Study ◽  
Temporal Variables ◽  
Interval Ratio ◽  
Lincoln Park

Objective The purpose of this study was to measure the oral and nasal cavity acoustic energies to determine whether temporal patterns of nasalization differentiate children with and without cleft palate and the extent to which vowel context contributes to these temporal differences. Design Nasal onset interval, nasal offset interval, and total nasalization duration measures were obtained from acoustic waveforms, spectrograms, and energy contours acquired using the Computerized Speech Lab (Kay Elemetrics, Lincoln Park, NJ). In addition to absolute temporal values, proportional durations of nasalization were measured to obtain information regarding the relative duration of nasalization. Participants Fifteen children with cleft palate exhibiting mild hypernasality and 15 children without cleft palate participated in the study. Children in both groups were between 4 and 7 years of age. Results Each of the three absolute measures was significantly different between the two groups of subjects and within the three vowel contexts. Children with cleft palate showed longer temporal characteristics than children without cleft palate in all three absolute measures. The three temporal variables of the high vowel contexts were generally longer than those of low vowel contexts. Regarding proportional measures, nasal offset interval ratio, and total nasalization ratio showed significant differences between the two groups. Conclusions Nasalization, as reflected by acoustic signals, showed different timing characteristics between children with cleft palate and without cleft palate and across vowel contexts. This suggests that the duration of nasalization reflecting temporal patterns of the oral-nasal acoustic impedance may have an influence on the perception of hypernasality.

Consonantal space area in children with a cleft palate: an acoustic study

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marion Béchet ◽  
Fabrice Hirsch ◽  
Camille Fauth ◽  
Rudolph Sock
Keyword(s):  
Cleft Palate ◽  
Acoustic Study

Temporal Characteristics of Aerodynamic Segments in the Speech of Children and Adults

2002 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 432-438 ◽  
Author(s):  
David J. Zajac ◽  
Alyssa M. Hackett
Keyword(s):  
Older Children ◽  
Total N ◽  
Temporal Characteristics ◽  
Temporal Variables ◽  
Coefficients Of Variation ◽  
Secondary Objective ◽  
Temporal Measures ◽  
Main Effects ◽  
Normal Speech ◽  
Age And Sex

Objectives The primary purpose of this study was to determine the temporal characteristics of aerodynamic segments in the normal speech of children and adults without cleft palate. A secondary objective was to determine the withinspeaker variability of the segments. Method Speakers consisted of 46 children aged 6 to 8 years, 41 older children aged 11 to 12 years, and 41 adults aged 18 to 37 years (total n = 128) who repeated the word “hamper” during continuous utterances. The pressure-flow method was used to determine the duration of six segments of the oral air pressure and nasal airflow pulses associated with the /mp/ sequence. Descriptive statistics, including coefficients of variation (COV), were computed for each segment as a function of age and sex of the speakers. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) procedures were used to determine the effects of age, sex, or both on the temporal variables. Results ANOVAs indicated statistically significant main effects (p < .008) for age on five of the six temporal measures and for sex on three of the six measures. Five of the six COVs were also statistically significant for age. There were no statistically significant interactions between speaker age and sex for any measure. Conclusions The results indicate distinct patterns of timing for aerodynamic segments of speech produced by children and adults. Overall, adults exhibited less temporal variability than children. The generally longer and more variable segments produced by children suggest diagnostic and treatment implications relative to speakers with velopharyngeal dysfunction.

Temporal characteristics of nasalization in Persian speaker children with and without cleft palate

2015 ◽  
Vol 79 (4) ◽  
pp. 546-552 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kowsar Baghban ◽  
Farhad Torabinezhad ◽  
Negin Moradi ◽  
Faezeh Asadollahpour ◽  
Nassim Ahmadi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cleft Palate ◽  
Temporal Characteristics

Spatial/temporal characteristics of a motor pattern for reaching

1994 ◽  
Vol 71 (2) ◽  
pp. 811-813 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Flanders ◽  
J. J. Pellegrini ◽  
J. F. Soechting
Keyword(s):  
Sagittal Plane ◽  
Motor Pattern ◽  
Temporal Patterns ◽  
Space Time ◽  
Reaching Movements ◽  
Emg Activity ◽  
Temporal Characteristics ◽  
Human Arm ◽  
Time Transformations

1. Temporal patterns of electromyographic (EMG) activity were related to the direction of fast reaching movements. Reaches were to 20 targets in the sagittal plane of the human arm. 2. The subtraction of EMG levels recorded during very slow movements to each target allowed this study to focus on the phasic aspects of complex EMGs. 3. General features of the phasic spatial/temporal patterns differed across muscles, even across muscles at the same joint. This indicates that future models of cortical to motoneuronal processing must include nonuniform space-time transformations.

Validity of the Nasometer Measuring the Temporal Characteristics of Nasalization

2007 ◽  
Vol 44 (5) ◽  
pp. 506-517 ◽  
Author(s):  
Youkyung Bae ◽  
David P. Kuehn ◽  
Seunghee Ha
Keyword(s):  
American English ◽  
First Language ◽  
External Criterion ◽  
Temporal Characteristics ◽  
Acoustic Data ◽  
Speech Segment ◽  
Rate Controlled ◽  
Nasal Consonant ◽  
Lincoln Park ◽  
Normal Adults

Objective: To examine the validity of the Nasometer (KayPENTAX, Lincoln Park, NJ) in measuring the temporal characteristics of nasalization by comparing the Nasometer measures to the measures from an external criterion procedure. Design: Speech samples consisted of three rate-controlled nonsense syllables, which varied in their vowel compositions: /izinizi/, /azanaza/, and /uzunuzu/. Acoustic data were recorded simultaneously through the Nasometer and an external criterion procedure (a specialized microphone set that collected acoustic signals separately for the nasal and oral channels). Speech segment durations measured from the two instrumental conditions were compared on the Nasometer display and the Computerized Speech Lab (KayPENTAX, Lincoln Park, NJ) display. Five durational variables were measured: total utterance duration, nasal onset interval, nasal consonant duration, nasal offset interval, and total nasalization duration. Participants: Fourteen normal adults who speak American English as their first language participated in the study. Results: No significant differences were found between the measures from the Nasometer and those from an external criterion procedure in all the durational variables pertinent to nasalization. Different vowels, however, yielded significantly different patterns in these durational variables, in which the low vowel /a/ context revealed significantly longer total nasalization duration than did the high vowel /i/ and /u/ contexts. Conclusions: The results suggest that the Nasometer can be used as a valid tool to measure the temporal characteristics underlying nasalization and confirm significant vowel effects on the temporal patterns of nasalization.

Endothermy and chorusing behaviour in the African platypleurine cicada Pycna semiclara (Germar, 1834) (Hemiptera: Cicadidae)

2003 ◽  
Vol 81 (8) ◽  
pp. 1437-1444 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin H Villet ◽  
Allen F Sanborn ◽  
Polly K Phillips
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Body Temperature ◽  
Ambient Temperature ◽  
Acoustic Communication ◽  
Acoustic Signals ◽  
Calling Song ◽  
Atmospheric Conditions ◽  
Temperature Changes ◽  
Temporal Characteristics ◽  
Calling Activity

Cicadas use acoustic signals to find mates and therefore offer a phylogenetically independent opportunity to test the generality of ideas about acoustic communication that were developed from studies of other animals. Pycna semiclara (Germar, 1834) (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) is a forest-dwelling platypleurine cicada that uses its calling song to form choruses and attract mates. Additionally, P. semiclara produces an encounter call that is involved in courtship and also in spacing males within choruses. Males generally call from exposed trunks and branches within the understory but clear of the undergrowth and fight with other males that call within about 50 cm of them. Choruses sing sporadically throughout the day but focus most of their calling activity into half-hour bouts at dawn and dusk. Body size and ambient temperature had no significant effect on spectral or temporal characteristics of the calling song. Body temperature measurements indicate that P. semiclara thermoregulates endothermically, with a body temperature of more than 22 °C above ambient temperature being measured during calling activity at dusk. Such endothermy provides an advantage to the cicadas by allowing them to call during crepuscular hours when atmospheric conditions are most optimal for acoustic communication and predation risks are minimal. Coincidentally, endogenously regulating body temperature allows the temporal characteristics of the call to be unaffected by ambient temperature changes.

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