Voice Parameters in Children With Down Syndrome |
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Authors: | Carla Pinto Moura Luís Miguel Cunha Helena Vilarinho Maria Joo Cunha Diamantino Freitas Miguel Palha Siegfried M Pueschel M Pais-Clemente |
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Institution: | Department of Otolaryngology, Hospital S?o Jo?o, Porto Medical School, Porto University, Porto, Portugal. cmoura@med.up.pt |
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Abstract: | Down syndrome (DS) is the most frequent chromosomal disorder. Commonly, individuals with DS have difficulties with speech and show an unusual quality in the voice. Their phenotypic characteristics include general hypotonia and maxillary hypoplasia with relative macroglossia, and these contribute to particular acoustic alterations. Subjective perceptual and acoustic assessments of the voice (Praat-4.1 software) were performed in 66 children with DS, 36 boys and 30 girls, aged 3 to 8 years. These data were compared with those of an age-matched group of children from the general population. Perceptual evaluations showed significant differences in the group of children with DS. The voice of children with DS presented a lower fundamental frequency (F(0)) with elevated dispersion. The conjunction of frequencies for formants (F(1) and F(2)) revealed a decreased distinction between the vowels, reflecting the loss of articulatory processing. The DS vocalic anatomical functional ratio represents the main distinctive parameter between the two groups studied, and it may be useful in conducting assessments. |
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Keywords: | Down syndrome Voice Acoustical Perceptual Pediatrics |
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