Vocal tract dimensional development of adolescents: an acoustic reflection study.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of age and gender on adolescents' vocal tract dimensional development with acoustic reflection technology (ART).


METHODS
A total of ninety-five male and female adolescents aged between 10 and 18 divided into three age groups were tested with acoustic reflection technology (ART) and acoustic program to secure their vocal tract dimensional parameters and the vowel formant frequencies.


RESULTS
Significant age and gender effects were found not only in vocal tract length, but also segmental volumetric measurements, as well as the vowel formant frequencies.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings of this study have provided insights on the developmental trend of adolescents' vocal tracts. The study has also offered a preliminary anatomical database of adolescents' vocal tract dimensional growth for otolaryngologists, clinical anatomists, speech therapists and other health professionals of swallowing, respiration and communicative disorders.
Xue
Steve A
SA
Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, 34 Hospital Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong. axue@hku.hk
Cheng
Regine Wing Chi
RW
Ng
Lawrence Manwa
LM
D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015588:Observer Variation; D010699:Phonation / Q000502:physiology*; D012737:Sex Factors; D013061:Speech Acoustics; D014827:Vocal Cords / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000254:growth & development; D014833:Voice Quality