Comparison of Esophageal and Tracheoesophageal Speech Modes in Dual-Mode Alaryngeal Speakers

Abstract

Objective: The main purpose of this study was to compare different speech related parameters in dual-mode esophageal and tracheoesophageal speakers. A second purpose was to compare the speech characteristics of these (tracheo) esophageal speakers with age- and gender matched controls. Materials and Methods: Four male laryngectomees who were proficient esophageal and tracheoesophageal speakers provided audio recordings of sustained vowels and connected speech using both alaryngeal methods. The participants from the control group also followed the same procedure. From the recorded samples, fundamental frequency (F0), maximum phonation duration (MPD), formant frequencies, and speech rate related parameters were extracted. Results: Although there was no statistically significant difference between the two alaryngeal modes for any of the measured parameters, the absolute fundamental frequency and MPD values were higher in TE mode. However, when compared to controls, both the alaryngeal modes depicted significantly shorter MPD values, higher first formant frequency values, slower speech rate, and higher frequency of pauses. Conclusion: The results suggest that most group differences found between esophageal and tracheoesophageal speech in the past may be due to large inter-subject variability, and that within speakers, similarity is more between esophageal and tracheoesophageal speech than with laryngeal speech. These results have implications for understanding the pseudoglottic voice mechanism.