Joakim Gustafsson1, Sten Ternström2, Maria Södersten3, Ellika Schalling3. 1. Division of Speech and Language Pathology, Department of Clinical Sciences, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Speech and Language Pathology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden. Electronic address: joakim.gustafsson@ki.se. 2. Department of Speech, Music and Hearing, School of Computer Science and Communication, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden. 3. Division of Speech and Language Pathology, Department of Clinical Sciences, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Speech and Language Pathology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To investigate how the direct biofeedback on vocal loudness administered with a portable voice accumulator (VoxLog) should be configured, to facilitate an optimal learning outcome for individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD), on the basis of principles of motor learning. STUDY DESIGN: Methodologic development in an experimental study. METHODS: The portable voice accumulator VoxLog was worn by 20 participants with PD during habitual speech during semistructured conversations. Six different biofeedback configurations were used, in random order, to study which configuration resulted in a feedback frequency closest to 20% as recommended on the basis of previous studies. RESULTS: Activation of feedback when the wearer speaks below a threshold level of 3 dB below the speaker's mean voice sound level in habitual speech combined with an activation time of 500 ms resulted in a mean feedback frequency of 21.2%. CONCLUSIONS: Settings regarding threshold and activation time based on the results from this study are recommended to achieve an optimal learning outcome when administering biofeedback on vocal loudness for individuals with PD using portable voice accumulators.
OBJECTIVES: To investigate how the direct biofeedback on vocal loudness administered with a portable voice accumulator (VoxLog) should be configured, to facilitate an optimal learning outcome for individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD), on the basis of principles of motor learning. STUDY DESIGN: Methodologic development in an experimental study. METHODS: The portable voice accumulator VoxLog was worn by 20 participants with PD during habitual speech during semistructured conversations. Six different biofeedback configurations were used, in random order, to study which configuration resulted in a feedback frequency closest to 20% as recommended on the basis of previous studies. RESULTS: Activation of feedback when the wearer speaks below a threshold level of 3 dB below the speaker's mean voice sound level in habitual speech combined with an activation time of 500 ms resulted in a mean feedback frequency of 21.2%. CONCLUSIONS: Settings regarding threshold and activation time based on the results from this study are recommended to achieve an optimal learning outcome when administering biofeedback on vocal loudness for individuals with PD using portable voice accumulators.
Authors: Jarrad H Van Stan; Daryush D Mehta; Robert J Petit; Dagmar Sternad; Jason Muise; James A Burns; Robert E Hillman Journal: Am J Speech Lang Pathol Date: 2017-02-01 Impact factor: 2.408