Changes in Relative Fundamental Frequency Under Increased Cognitive Load in Individuals With Healthy Voices

Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of cognitive load on relative fundamental frequency (RFF) in individuals with healthy voices. Method Twenty adults with healthy voices read sentences under different cognitive load conditions. Each sentence contained color terms printed in colored ink, creating an embedded Stroop task. Participants read the ink color in which a word was printed, rather than the color term itself. Sentences with mismatched ink colors and printed words constituted an increased cognitive load. RFF, an acoustic correlate of laryngeal tension, was calculated for the 10 voicing cycles preceding (i.e., offset) and following (i.e., onset) voiceless consonants. Repeated measures analyses of variance were constructed to assess the effects of RFF cycle, cognitive load, and their interaction on mean RFF offset and onset. Results There was a significant effect of cognitive load condition on RFF offset. There was no significant effect of condition on RFF onset nor significant interaction between cycle and condition on RFF onset or offset values. Conclusion Reduced mean RFF offset may indicate an increase in laryngeal muscle tension during a cognitively demanding task.