Vocal Fatigue Index: Validation and Cut-off Values of the Brazilian Version.

Objectives: To complete the validation and to study the psychometric properties of the Brazilian Portuguese version of the Vocal Fatigue Index (IFV).

Material And Methods: This is a validation study of a diagnostic instrument utilizing a cross-sectional design and phases with quasi-experimental design. The total sample was composed of 212 participants, divided into two groups: Dysphonic Group and Vocally Healthy Group.

Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Validation of the Vocal Fatigue Index into Persian.

Introduction: The aim of the present study was the cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Vocal Fatigue Index (VFI) in Persian.

Methods: The English version of the VFI was translated to Persian using the guidelines of International Quality of Life Assessment. Eighty participants with voice disorders and 50 healthy controls without any voice disorders completed the Persian version of the VFI.

Restructuring the Vocal Fatigue Index Using Mokken Scaling: Insights Into the Complex Nature of Vocal Fatigue.

Vocal fatigue is a frequent symptom and a debilitating condition affecting individuals with voice disorders. In spite of the various attempts to define and quantify vocal fatigue, this complex trait has not been well understood. Mokken scaling was performed on the Vocal Fatigue Index (VFI) to develop a hierarchical understanding of the latent trait of vocal fatigue.

Cross-cultural adaptation of the Brazilian version of the Vocal Fatigue Index - VFI.

The purpose of this study was to perform the cultural adaptation of the Brazilian version of the Vocal Fatigue Index (VFI). Two Brazilian bilingual speech-language pathologists (SLP) translated the original version of the VFI in English into Portuguese. The translations were reviewed by a committee of five voice specialist SLPs resulting in the final version of the instrument.

Metabolic Mechanisms of Vocal Fatigue.

Objective: This study aimed to identify potential metabolic mechanisms including (1) neuromuscular inefficiency, (2) cardiovascular recovery deficits, or (3) both, in individuals with complaints of vocal fatigue.

Study Design: Within- and between-subjects group design was used in this study.

Methods: Three groups of women participated in the study, including (1) individuals with complaints of vocal fatigue; (2) vocally healthy sedentary individuals; and (3) vocally healthy, cardiovascularly conditioned individuals.

Vocal Fatigue Index (VFI): Development and Validation.

Objective: To develop a psychometrically sound self-report questionnaire, the Vocal Fatigue Index (VFI), to help identify individuals with vocal fatigue (VF) and characterize their complaints.

Study Design: Descriptive research-scale development.

Methods: Four laryngologists and six speech-language pathologists specialized in voice created a beta version of the VFI (version 1), an index of 21 statements they considered to reflect VF.

Autonomic and emotional responses of graduate student clinicians in speech-language pathology to stuttered speech.

Background: Fluent speakers and people who stutter manifest alterations in autonomic and emotional responses as they view stuttered relative to fluent speech samples. These reactions are indicative of an aroused autonomic state and are hypothesized to be triggered by the abrupt breakdown in fluency exemplified in stuttered speech. Furthermore, these reactions are assumed to be the basis for the stereotypes held by different communicative partners towards people who stutter.

Preliminary data on prevention and treatment of voice problems in student teachers.

Objectives/hypotheses: To assess the utility of a targeted voice hygiene (VH) program compared to VH plus voice training intervention (VH+VT) for the prevention and treatment of voice problems in student teachers.

Study Design: Prospective, randomized.

Methods: Thirty-one student teachers with low (good) and high (poor) voice handicap index (VHI) scores in Pittsburgh and Hong Kong were randomly assigned to (1) a targeted, individually tailored VH program, (2) the VH program plus resonant VT (VH+VT), or (c) a control group.

Past speech therapy experiences of individuals exploring a new stuttering treatment.

Perceptions of benefits of speech therapy, success of therapy across clinical settings, reasons for returning to therapy, client-clinician relationships, and clinicians' competency were assessed in 57 participants (47 men, 10 women; M age = 34 yr.) trying a new therapy. A majority of respondents had cumulatively five or more years in therapy and at least two stuttering therapies.

The effect of static and dynamic visual gestures on stuttering inhibition.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the role of steady-state and dynamic visual gestures of vowels in stuttering inhibition. Eight adults who stuttered recited sentences from memory while watching video presentations of the following visual speech gestures: (a) a steady-state /u/, (b) dynamic production of /a-i-u/, (c) steady-state /u/ with an accompanying audible 1 kHz pure tone, and (d) dynamic production of /a-i-u/ with an accompanying audible 1 kHz pure tone. A 1 kHz pure tone and a no-external signal condition served as control conditions.

Emotional and physiological responses of fluent listeners while watching the speech of adults who stutter.

Background: People who stutter produce speech that is characterized by intermittent, involuntary part-word repetitions and prolongations. In addition to these signature acoustic manifestations, those who stutter often display repetitive and fixated behaviours outside the speech producing mechanism (e.g.

Psychophysiological responses of adults who do not stutter while listening to stuttering.

The present study examined the psychophysiological responses of fluent listeners to stuttered speech. Specifically, skin conductance and heart rate changes were measured from adults who do not stutter while watching one-minute video speech samples of persons stutter read aloud. Fifteen adult participants observed three stuttered and three fluent speech samples, presented in random order with a two-minute interstimulus intervals.

The effects of temporal modification of second speech signals on stuttering inhibition at two speech rates in adults.

The recovery of 'gestural' speech information via the engagement of mirror neurons has been suggested to be the key agent in stuttering inhibition during the presentation of exogenous second speech signals. Based on this hypothesis, we expect the amount of stuttering inhibition to depend on the ease of recovery of exogenous speech gestures. To examine this possibility, linguistically non-congruent second speech signals were temporally compressed and expanded in two experiments.