Effects of Repetition on
Phonation Threshold Pressure Task Performance
Christina A. Dastolfo, M.S.
University of Pittsburgh, 2011
ABSTRACT
Purpose: Phonation threshold pressure (PTP) is a widely used measure to evaluate vocal fold structure and function. Although concerns have been expressed about PTPs vulnerability to shifts as a function of practice, to date no study has addressed this question systematically. The present study addresses that gap at a preliminary, exploratory level.
Methods: Nineteen vocally healthy women between 19-27 yrs were recruited into the study. Participants were screened for normal vocal function and self-reported normal learning abilities. Each participant performed a standard PTP task at her 80%ile pitch across 5 practice blocks on two consecutive study days under the same experimental conditions.
Results: All participants improved both PTP and PTP standard deviation (SD) values from first to best block in the study, without any specific interventions. Statistical analyses confirmed participants as a group improved in average PTP performance from first to best block within and across experimental days. Individual data showed changes ranged from 0.67 5.42 cm H20 (mean = 2.42 cm H20). Improvements in SDs were also significant, ranging from 0.28-2.39 cm H20 improvement shown by individual data.
Conclusions: The data suggest caution is warranted in the interpretation of PTP changes subsequent to research and clinical interventions, and provide initial estimates of changes that may occur with task repetition alone. Results from the present study provide motivation for further systematic work on repetition effects on PTP performance.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:PITT/oai:PITTETD:etd-04212011-210149 |
| Date | 04 May 2011 |
| Creators | Dastolfo, Christina Angela |
| Contributors | Michael Walsh Dickey, Katherine Verdolini Abbott, Susan Shaiman |
| Publisher | University of Pittsburgh |
| Source Sets | University of Pittsburgh |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | http://etd.library.pitt.edu/ETD/available/etd-04212011-210149/ |
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