Computerised measurement of fundamental frequency in Scottish neoglottal patients.

Abstract

An electrolaryngograph has been used to investigate the fundamental frequency of neoglottal speech produced by patients who have undergone near-total (parsimonious) laryngectomy. The resulting estimates of fundamental frequency were compared with the fundamental frequency of normal and oesophageal speakers of a similar age and Scottish dialect. It was found that the average fundamental frequencies of neoglottal and oesophageal male speakers were higher than those in the normal group, though many fall into the normal range. The fundamental frequency of the single neoglottal female speaker was higher than the normal average, but the fundamental frequencies of all of the oesophageal female speakers were lower than those of the normal female speakers. The 80 and 90% ranges of the alaryngeal speakers were wider than those of the normal speakers, but the average range of neoglottals was narrower than that of the oesophageals for the male speakers.