ACOUSTIC ANALYSIS OF VOICE IN INDIVIDUALS WITH AMYOTROPHIC-LATERAL-SCLEROSIS AND PERCEPTUALLY NORMAL VOCAL QUALITY

Currently, early phonatory changes in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (A LS) are not well understood. The aim of this study was to compare acou stic parameters of voice in ALS subjects who demonstrated perceptually normal vocal quality on sustained phonation with a control group. We hypothesized that objective analysis of voice would reveal significant differences on specific acoustic parameters of voice compared to the control group. Results revealed statistically significant differences between the two groups on measures related to frequency range and phon atory stability. The findings suggest that early bulbar signs affectin g the laryngeal system may be present in patients with ALS before the occurrence of perceptually aberrant vocal characteristics.