title: An Aerodynamic Study of Phonations in Patients With Parkinson Disease (PD).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The precise comparison of the voice characteristics of Parkinson disease (PD) patients with age-matched normal subjects is still one of the important research projects. The present study aimed at comparing the voice characteristics in sustained phonations of PD patients with an age-matched control group.
  
  
  METHODS
  The subjects were 30 Japanese PD patients (15 males and 15 females). The control group consisted of 30 age-matched normal Japanese subjects (15 males and 15 females). Each subject was required to phonate into a mouthpiece attached to Vocal Function Analyzer (PS-77E; Nagashima Medical Instrumental Corporation, Tokyo, Japan) with the airway interruption system, and expiratory lung pressure, mean flow rate, fundamental frequency and intensity of voice, and pitch range were measured. Maximum phonation time was also assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The highest pitch level was significantly lower in the PD group than that of the control group in both sexes, whereas the lowest pitch level was significantly higher in the PD group only in males. In both sexes, the pitch range was significantly narrower in the PD group than in the control group. There was no significant difference in intensity, mean flow rate, expiratory pressure, or maximum phonation time between the two groups, for both males and females.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Only remarkable difference in the voice characteristics between PD patients and age-matched normal elderlies was limited to the narrowing of the pitch range in PD patients. The restriction in pitch regulation in PD patients was considered to be because of difficulty in reciprocal control of the laryngeal muscles secondary to latent rigidity.
authors: Department of Biology and Function in the Head and Neck, Yokohama City University, Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan. Electronic address: t116005b@yokohama-cu.ac.jp.
authors: Yukiko
authors: Y
authors: Ikui
authors: Department of Clinical Neurology and Stroke Medicine, Yokohama City University, Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan.
authors: Haruko
authors: H
authors: Nakamura
authors: Department of Biology and Function in the Head and Neck, Yokohama City University, Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan.
authors: Daisuke
authors: D
authors: Sano
authors: Department of Biology and Function in the Head and Neck, Yokohama City University, Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan.
authors: Hiroshi
authors: H
authors: Hyakusoku
authors: Department of Clinical Neurology and Stroke Medicine, Yokohama City University, Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan.
authors: Hitaru
authors: H
authors: Kishida
authors: Department of Clinical Neurology and Stroke Medicine, Yokohama City University, Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan.
authors: Yosuke
authors: Y
authors: Kudo
authors: Department of Clinical Neurology and Stroke Medicine, Yokohama City University, Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan.
authors: Hideto
authors: H
authors: Joki
authors: Department of Clinical Neurology and Stroke Medicine, Yokohama City University, Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan.
authors: Shigeru
authors: S
authors: Koyano
authors: Department of Otolaryngology, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Akihito
authors: A
authors: Yamauchi
authors: Department of Otolaryngology and Tracheo-esophagology, The National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Shingo
authors: S
authors: Takano
authors: Department of Otolaryngology and Tracheo-esophagology, The National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Niro
authors: N
authors: Tayama
authors: Department of Biology and Function in the Head and Neck, Yokohama City University, Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan.
authors: Hajime
authors: H
authors: Hirose
authors: Department of Biology and Function in the Head and Neck, Yokohama City University, Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan.
authors: Nobuhiko
authors: N
authors: Oridate
authors: Department of Clinical Neurology and Stroke Medicine, Yokohama City University, Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan.
authors: Fumiaki
authors: F
authors: Tanaka
mesh_terms: D000162:Acoustics / Q000295:instrumentation; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004867:Equipment Design; D045853:Exhalation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D007821:Laryngeal Muscles / Q000503:physiopathology; D008168:Lung / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D010699:Phonation; D011312:Pressure; D012737:Sex Factors; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D013061:Speech Acoustics; D013068:Speech Production Measurement / Q000295:instrumentation; D014832:Voice Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014833:Voice Quality
keywords: Aging voice; Airflow rate; Fundamental frequency; Intensity of voice; Laryngeal muscles; Parkinson disease