Symptom Expression Across Voiced Speech Sounds in Adductor Laryngeal Dystonia.
Saul A Frankford, Katherine L Marks, Taylor F Feaster and 2 others
PMID 36424240WHAT IT FOUND
In 18 speakers with adductor laryngeal dystonia reading an all-voiced sentence, symptoms were significantly less likely on nasal and stop consonants than on vowels and approximants.
However, every sound segment still carried a high probability of symptoms.
Key findings
01Symptoms were significantly less likely to occur during nasal consonants and obstruents compared to vowels and approximants.
02Despite differences between sound classes, the estimated probability of a symptom occurring was greater than 28% on every segment of the all-voiced phrase.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study included only speakers with adductor laryngeal dystonia, so it is unknown if the reduced symptom frequency on nasals and obstruents is specific to this disorder or a general feature of speech. Participants were actively receiving Botox treatment, which may have influenced symptom expression. The analysis was based on a single all-voiced sentence, limiting the generalizability to natural speech or mixed voiced/voiceless contexts. The study could not disentangle the effects of the specific sound type from its surrounding phonetic context (coarticulation).
Declared interests
One author received consulting fees from companies developing human movement technologies; other authors declared no competing interests.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that nasals and obstruents are 'safe' or symptom-free sounds for patients with adductor laryngeal dystonia. They are merely less likely to trigger symptoms than vowels and approximants, but the probability of a symptom occurring on any segment in this all-voiced sentence was still greater than 28%.