Effects of Fundamental Frequency, Vocal Intensity, Sample Duration, and Vowel Context in Cepstral and Spectral Measures of Dysphonic Voices.

Purpose Smoothed cepstral peak prominence (CPPS) and harmonics-to-noise ratio (HNR) are acoustic measures related to the periodicity, harmonicity, and noise components of an acoustic signal. To date, there is little evidence about the advantages of CPPS over HNR in voice diagnostics. Recent studies indicate that voice fundamental frequency (F0) and intensity (sound pressure level [SPL]), sample duration (DUR), vowel context (speech vs.

Fundamental Frequency and Intensity Effects on Cepstral Measures in Vowels from Connected Speech of Speakers with Voice Disorders.

Objective: Cepstral peak prominence (CPP) and smoothed CPP (CPPS) have been described as reliable parameters to detect overall dysphonia in standardized connected speech samples. Recent studies indicate that vocal intensity (sound pressure level, SPL) and fundamental frequency (f) changes may influence cepstral measurement results in healthy speakers. The main aim of the present work was to investigate the effects of prosody related SPL and f variations on cepstral measures in speech of adults with voice disorders.

Videofluoroscopic Predictors of Penetration-Aspiration in Parkinson's Disease Patients.

Parkinson's disease (PD) patients show a high prevalence of swallowing disorders and tracheal aspiration of food. The videofluoroscopic study of swallowing (VFSS) allows clinicians to visualize the visuoperceptual and temporal parameters associated with swallowing disorders in an attempt to predict aspiration risk. However, this subject remains understudied in PD populations.

Swallowing disorders in Parkinson's disease: impact of lingual pumping.

Background: Lingual pumping (LP) is a repetitive, involuntary, anteroposterior movement of the tongue on the soft palate that is executed prior to transferring the food bolus to the pharynx, but we also observed LP when multiple swallows were taken. LP may be associated with rigidity and bradykinesia in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). This phenomenon tends to be more prevalent in dysphagic PD patients, and its impact on swallowing dynamics remains poorly understood.

Wet voice as a sign of penetration/aspiration in Parkinson's disease: does testing material matter?

Wet voice is a perceptual vocal quality that is commonly used as an indicator of penetration and/or aspiration in clinical swallowing assessments and bedside screening tests. Our aim was to describe the clinimetric characteristics of this clinical sign using various fluid materials and one solid food in the Parkinson's disease (PD) population. Consecutive PD individuals were submitted for simultaneous fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES) and voice recording.

Swallowing impairment and pulmonary dysfunction in Parkinson's disease: the silent threats.

Introduction: Swallowing disorders and respiratory impairment are frequent in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients, and aspiration pneumonia remains the leading cause of death among these subjects.

Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate whether there is an association between pulmonary impairment and swallowing dysfunction in PD patients.

Methods: A cross-sectional study with a comparison group was conducted with PD patients.

Do swallowing exercises improve swallowing dynamic and quality of life in Parkinson's disease?

Objective: To investigate the effect of motor swallowing exercises on swallowing dynamic, quality of life and swallowing complaints in Parkinson's disease (PD).

Design: A before-after trial.

Setting: University Medical Center.

Chemical composition and anti-Trypanosoma cruzi activity of essential oils obtained from leaves of Xylopia frutescens and X. laevigata (Annonaceae).

Essential oils from leaves of Xylopia frutescens (XFMJ) and two specimens of Xylopia laevigata (XLMC and XLSI) were obtained by hydrodistillation using a Clevenger-type apparatus, and analyzed by GC-MS and GC-FID. Sesquiterpenes dominated the essential oils. The main constituents of XFMJ were (E)-caryophyllene (24.

Chemical constituents and anticancer effects of the essential oil from leaves of Xylopia laevigata.

Xylopia laevigata, popularly known as "meiú" and "pindaíba", is a medicinal plant used in the folk medicine of the Brazilian Northeast for several purposes. The chemical constituents of the essential oil from leaves of X. laevigata, collected from wild plants growing at three different sites of the remaining Atlantic forest in Sergipe State (Brazilian Northeast), were analyzed by GC/FID and GC/MS.

Silent saliva aspiration in Parkinson's disease.

Background: Silent laryngeal penetration and silent aspiration (SLP/SA) are common manifestations in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients and are frequently associated with dysphagia. However, little is known about saliva aspiration in this population.

Objective: We investigated the frequency and characteristics of saliva SLP/SA in PD patients with daily drooling (Group A) and in individuals without PD or daily drooling (Group B).

Investigation of the immediate effects of two semi-ocluded vocal tract exercises.

Background: the immediate effects of two semi-ocluded vocal tract exercises.

Aim: to verify and compare the immediate effects of the finger kazoo (FK) and phonation with straw exercises (PS).

Method: twenty-three women without vocal complaints, aged twenty-three to forty, performed the exercises twice, in a pre-set order (FK - PS - PS - FK), and did a vocal self assessment after each one of these exercises.