title: Airflow, volume, and durational characteristics of oral reading by the hearing-impaired.
abstract: This study examined airflow, volume,and durational characteristics of speech produced by hearing-impaired subjects using a face-mask-pneumotachometer-pressure-transducer system. Results or oral reading of a standard passage indicated that, in comparison to the normal-hearing subjects, the speech respiration of the hearing-impaired was characterized by high air consumption manifested as high air expenditure per syllable, high average expiratory airflow rates, and high peak-airflow rates; frequent inspirations; inspirations at linguistically inappropriate places; short duration of expiration; and large individual differences. These characteristics were especially prominent among the more severely hearing-impaired individuals. Correlational analysis revealed that more frequent inspirations were associated with poorer overall speech proficiency while high air consumption was closely related to a breathy voice quality.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006311:Hearing Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D010699:Phonation; D011932:Reading; D012119:Respiration; D013060:Speech / Q000502:physiology*; D013065:Speech Intelligibility; D013997:Time Factors; D014160:Transducers, Pressure; D014797:Vital Capacity; D014833:Voice Quality