The purpose of this study was to determine whether fundamental frequency measurements made with two portable electronic tuners, relatively inexpensive devices used by musicians for fast-tuning their instruments, were comparable to those made with the Visi-Pitch (Model 6097) when analyzing both normal and dysphonic voices. Voice recordings of vowel prolongations and connected speech (oral reading) of 40 adult subjects (10 normal females, 10 dysphonic females, 10 normal males, 10 dysphonic males) were analyzed. Results indicated that measurements of connected speech samples made with the tuners correlated very highly with those made by the Visi-Pitch. The measurements of vowel samples made with the tuners also correlated very highly with those made with the Visi-Pitch with the exception of the dysphonic female voices. Measurement differences of approximately one octave for two severely dysphonic female voices contributed to the lower but nevertheless significant correlations for dysphonic female voices. Regression analyses indicated that the tuners underestimated the measurements made with the Visi-Pitch by approximately 4 Hz or less. The results support the use of the tuners for clinical measurement of fundamental frequency when more sophisticated equipment is unavailable and when users are aware of the devices’ limitations.
This paper discusses the peripheral and central visual and tactile pathways with respect to the diminishing integrity of the ageing nervous system. This discussion is based upon extant data derived from investigators in vision and vibrotactile sensation. The purpose in examining these investigations is to ascertain the problems associated with the use of vision and vibrotactile stimulation in the auditory rehabilitation of older people. Speed of processing and simultaneous use of pathways are factors to be considered carefully in order not to contribute to perceptual confusions. The writers hypothesize that the rehabilitative audiologist, when using the visual and tactile pathways of older patients for language processing is confronted with difficulties that are often encountered when using the auditory pathway in the presence of central auditory ageing effects. In view of the implications of the research findings in vision and vibrotactile sensation, suggestions are made to those professionals who work with older hearing-impaired people.
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