Steve An Xue

The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of different bandwidths on acoustic measures when using low-cost internettechnology of teletherapy in the field of speech and language rehabilitation. Normal speech and voice samples were collected at a clinic and a remote place by connecting the computers to Skype and VoiceEmotion software, while the disordered speech samples were collected through teaching CD samples from a quality voice textbook. Pure tones at 200 and 1000 Hz were also collected. The acoustic parameters: average fundamental frequency (F0), jitter percent, shimmer percent and noise-to-harmonic ratio (NHR) were used for fidelity analysis. The average F0 increased across all samples and bandwidths. There was greater increase and variability on the disordered voice samples. Speaking F0 was shown to both increase and decrease in no identifiable pattern with the different bandwidths. Jitter, shimmer and NHR were significantly different on pre- and post-transmission trials. The study provided preliminary pilot data on the fidelity effect of internet transmission on acoustic variables for voice and speech. Cautious suggestions were also provided to speech and language therapists who would consider using teletherapy for speech and voice diagnosis and treatment.

Botulinum toxin (Botox) injection is the only conventional medical treatment available for patients with spasmodic dysphonia (SD). Some patients are reluctant to receive Botox treatment due to concerns about unknown long-term side effects, expense, and dependence on repeated injections. The purpose of the study was to report the perceptual and physiological changes in the vocal functions of an SD patient treated with classical homeopathy. The results were similar to a previous case report: classical homeopathy seems to be capable of amelioratiny SD symptoms beyond the short-term effects of Botox injections. Although the physiological mechanism of homeopathic healing is not fully accounted for by the current bio-medical models, it may be an effective therapeutic alternative for some SD patients.