title: Spastic/spasmodic vs. tremulous vocal quality: motor speech profile analysis.
abstract: Strained, strangled, and tremulous vocal qualities that are typically seen in adductor spasmodic dysphonia (ADSD), voice tremor (Tremor), and the spastic dysarthria of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) may sound similar and be difficult to differentiate. The purpose of this study was to determine if these vocal qualities of neurologic origin could be differentiated on the basis of acoustic and motor speech parameters. Three groups of subjects (ADSD, ALS, and Tremor) were analyzed by the Motor Speech Profile System (Kay Elemetrics, Lincoln Park, NJ) for fundamental frequency (Fo), standard deviation of Fo, diadochokinetic rate (ddk), standard deviation of ddk, mean intensity and standard deviation of ddk, frequency and amplitude variability in connected speech, and speaking rate in connected speech. Profiles of the three groups are presented with the significant features that differentiated one from the other.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, University of Miami, School of Medicine, Miami, Florida 33101, USA. dlundy@med.miami.edu
authors.forename: Donna S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Lundy
authors.forename: Soham
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Roy
authors.forename: Jun W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.forename: Roy R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Casiano
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jassir
mesh_terms: D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D007821:Laryngeal Muscles / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009128:Muscle Spasticity / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013067:Speech Perception; D013068:Speech Production Measurement; D014832:Voice Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014833:Voice Quality