Acoustic characteristics of voice after severe traumatic brain injury

Abstract

Objectives/Hypothesis: To describe the acoustic characteristics of voice in individuals with motor speech disorders after traumatic brain injury (TBI). Study Design: Prospective study of 100 individuals with TBI based on consecutive referrals for motor speech evaluations. Methods: Subjects were audio tape-recorded while producing sustained vowels and single word and sentence intelligibility tests. Laryngeal airway resistance was estimated, and voice quality was rated perceptually. Results: None of the subjects evidenced vocal parameters within normal limits. The most frequently occurring abnormal parameter across subjects was amplitude perturbation, followed by voice turbulence index. Twenty-three percent of subjects evidenced deviation in all five parameters measured. The perceptual ratings of breathiness were significantly correlated with both the amplitude perturbation quotient and the noise-to-harmonics ratio. Conclusions: Vocal quality deviation is common in motor speech disorders after TBI and may impact intelligibility.