Adult normative data for phonatory aerodynamics in connected speech.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: To establish normative values for phonatory aerodynamic measurements in connected speech across adult ages and gender.

STUDY DESIGN

Prospective data collection across group design.

METHODS

One hundred fifty adults aged >18 years without voice complaints were stratified into three equal-age groups (group 1 [ages 18-39 years]; group 2 [ages 40-59 years], and group 3 [ages 60 + years]) and two equal-gender groups (male and female) resulting in 25 participants in each category. Participants read the first four sentences of the Rainbow Passage at comfortable pitch and loudness to obtain a connected speech sample. The following dependent variables were analyzed: breath number, reading passage duration, mean phonatory airflow, inspiratory airflow duration, and expiratory airflow duration.

RESULTS

A gender effect was found for mean phonatory airflow, with males showing significantly greater phonatory airflow than females during connected speech (P < .001). Number of breaths was significantly greater for group 3 than group 2 (P < .001) and group 1 (P < .001). Duration, and inspiratory and expiratory airflow durations were all significantly greater for group 3 (P < .001) than group 2 (P < .001) than group 1 (P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides normative data for phonatory aerodynamics in adult connected speech. Significant age and gender effects were observed. Laryngoscope, 128:909-914, 2018.