Presence of Stop Bursts and Multiple Bursts in Younger and Older Adults

Abstract The presence of more than one stop burst on the same stop consonant is termed a multiple burst (MB), and few studies are known to have quantitatively examined the presence of MBs in younger or older adults. Given that there is no known standard metholodology for identifying MBs, the current study describes a methodological approach to identify MBs. The study examines occurrences of stop bursts and MBs in initial stop consonants produced by younger adult (YA) and older adult (OA) speakers. A statistically significant loss of stop bursts was found in OA speakers for bilabials as compared to YA speakers. Although MBs were present across all places of stop articulation, they were predominant for the velar stop consonants. There were no age-related differences in MB occurrence, as they occurred in similar levels in both age groups. Previous research has found that velar stop consonants are more difficult to accurately produce for individuals with dysarthrias, and the current study extends this finding to both younger and older non-neurologically impaired individuals. Data are interpreted relative to the effect of aging on stop consonant production, and the data set the groundwork for future studies to examine bursts and MBs in different clinical populations.