Abstract:
The purpose of the present investigation was to evaluate changes associated with vocal aging before and after an intensive program of voice treatment. Three aged (68--70 years) individuals (two men and one woman) each participated in three pre-treatment and two post-treatment recording sessions. All subjects received 16 sessions of voice treatment (LSVT) within one month. The LSVT has been designed to increase vocal loudness and functional oral communication through maximizing phonatory efficiency and previously has been documented to be effective in treating speech and voice disorders in patients with Parkinson's disease [Ramig et al., J. Speech Hear. Res. 38, 1232--1251 (1995)]. Acoustic, videostroboscopic, aerodynamic, electromyographic, and perceptual data will be discussed in relation to treatment-related changes in sound-pressure level in these aged subjects. [Work supported by NIH.]