Affiliations: Danksagung: Wir danken Herrn Dr. Thomas Bons für
die Mitarbeit bei der Erhebung dieser Daten, sowie Herrn Prof. Dr. Begall
für die Kooperation
Note: [] Korrespondenzadresse: Dr. Erich Kasten, Institut für Med.
Psychologie, Otto-von-Guericke Universität, Medizin. Fakultät,
Leipziger Str. 44, D-39120 Magdeburg. E-mail: [email protected], Tel:
0391/6117119
Abstract: Investigation and improvement of pathological voices An understandable and loud voice is the precondition to avoid social
retreat of patients with operations of the larynx. In this projet we followed
three aims: Firstly, we asked patients for communication problems in ADLs, then
we analyzed the voices of patients with operation or resection of the larynx.
In addition, we tried to improve the understandability of these pathological
voies with technical devices. For this purpose, we recorded and analyzed
standardized vocal tasks of 43 patients (Elektrolarynx, ructus and pharyngeal
fistula). The best voice after resection of the larynx had the patients with
fistula. Objective investigations showed considerable deficits of average
number of syllables per minute, pressure of sound and maximal duration of
sounds. Typical records were modulated with a computer program to increase
understandability. Then 36 rater judged the records of the original voices and
the modulated versions. We were able to show an improvement of the
understandability of these voices following the computer-based changes in many
patients.
