Estimating subglottal pressure via airflow interruption with auditory masking

Area of Science:

• Speech Science
• Otolaryngology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Noninvasive subglottal pressure measurement using airflow interruption is often inconsistent.
• Audio-laryngeal reflexes triggered by airflow interruption contribute to measurement variability.
• Auditory feedback may enhance measurement accuracy and precision.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if auditory masking improves intrasubject consistency in subglottal pressure measurement.
• To investigate the efficacy of auditory feedback in mitigating audio-laryngeal reflexes during measurement.
• To develop a more reliable method for noninvasive subglottal pressure assessment.

Main Methods:

• Thirty subjects underwent noninvasive subglottal pressure measurement using airflow interruption.
• Subjects performed trials both with and without auditory masking (looped phonation playback).
• Intrasubject consistency was assessed by comparing standard deviations of measurements between conditions.

Main Results:

• Auditory masking significantly improved intrasubject consistency in subglottal pressure measurements.
• Average intrasubject standard deviation decreased from 0.93±0.51 to 0.47±0.22 cm H2O with auditory masking (P < 0.001).
• Auditory masking helped subjects maintain consistent glottal configuration and phonatory frequency.

Conclusions:

• Auditory masking is an effective method to enhance the reliability of noninvasive subglottal pressure measurement.
• This technique can help overcome audio-laryngeal reflexes, leading to more precise clinical data.
• Improved measurement reliability aids in laryngeal health evaluation and treatment monitoring.