Voice parameters in children with Down syndrome.
Down syndrome (DS) is the most frequent chromosomal disorder. Commonly, individuals with DS have difficulties with speech and show an unusual quality in the voice. Their phenotypic characteristics include general hypotonia and maxillary hypoplasia with relative macroglossia, and these contribute to particular acoustic alterations. Subjective perceptual and acoustic assessments of the voice (Praat-4.1 software) were performed in 66 children with DS, 36 boys and 30 girls, aged 3 to 8 years. These data were compared with those of an age-matched group of children from the general population. Perceptual evaluations showed significant differences in the group of children with DS. The voice of children with DS presented a lower fundamental frequency (F(0)) with elevated dispersion. The conjunction of frequencies for formants (F(1) and F(2)) revealed a decreased distinction between the vowels, reflecting the loss of articulatory processing. The DS vocalic anatomical functional ratio represents the main distinctive parameter between the two groups studied, and it may be useful in conducting assessments.
Moura
Carla Pinto
CP
Department of Otolaryngology, Hospital São João, Porto Medical School, Porto University, Porto, Portugal. cmoura@med.up.pt
Cunha
Luís Miguel
LM
Vilarinho
Helena
H
Cunha
Maria João
MJ
Freitas
Diamantino
D
Palha
Miguel
M
Pueschel
Siegfried M
SM
Pais-Clemente
M
M
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010700:Phonetics; D013061:Speech Acoustics; D013064:Speech Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D013067:Speech Perception; D013070:Speech Therapy / Q000379:methods; D014833:Voice Quality