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Speech production changes under fluency-evoking conditions in nonstuttering speakers
1Voice and Speech Section, VSLB, NIDCD, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892.
Journal of Speech and Hearing Research
|April 1, 1993
Summary
Non-stuttering speakers alter airflow and intraoral pressure during fluency-evoking conditions like choral reading and metronome pacing. These aerodynamic changes occur independently of speech rate or intensity modifications.
Area of Science:
- Speech Science
- Aerodynamics of Speech
- Phonetics
Background:
- Understanding the physiological mechanisms underlying fluent speech is crucial for speech pathology.
- Previous research has explored various fluency-evoking conditions, but the specific aerodynamic changes in non-stuttering speakers require further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate aerodynamic and intraoral pressure changes in non-stuttering speakers under four distinct fluency-evoking conditions.
- To determine if these speech modifications are related to changes in speech rate or intensity.
Main Methods:
- Twelve non-stuttering American English speakers produced CVC words under baseline and four conditions: choral reading (CR), metronome pacing (MET), delayed auditory feedback (DAF), and masking noise (NOISE).
- Measurements included airflow, intraoral pressure, vowel duration, intensity, and speech rate.
- Aerodynamic variables (peak flow, pressure rise time, peak instantaneous pressure velocity) were analyzed.
Main Results:
- Significant changes were observed in peak flow, pressure rise time, peak instantaneous pressure velocity, speech rate, intensity, and vowel duration compared to baseline.
- Vowel duration increased under DAF, MET, and NOISE.
- Peak pressure and pressure velocity decreased during CR and MET, but increased during NOISE.
- Aerodynamic changes were not correlated with intensity or rate modifications.
Conclusions:
- Non-stuttering speakers consistently modify intraoral pressure and airflow patterns when producing speech under fluency-evoking conditions.
- These aerodynamic adjustments appear to be independent of speech rate and intensity changes, suggesting a distinct physiological mechanism for fluency enhancement.