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514 publication date:JUNE 2020
Changes in Indicator Values of Speech Function Across Lifespan
    Author:Jing-Yi Jeng
Research Article

This study investigated the differences on the indicator values related with four speech functions among eight age groups of Mandarin speakers, and explored the changes in speech functions across lifespan. This cross-sectional study explored the changes in speech functions with age. The following four functional indicators of speech were measured: maximum phonation time (MPT), fundamental frequency (F0), oral diadochokinetic (DDK) rates, and spontaneous speech rates. The study recruited 350 participants, comprising of eight age groups, including 4-, 5-, 6-, 7-, 9-, 12-year-old children, young adults and older adults. The participant age ranged from 4 to 83 years. The results demonstrated that MPT increased with age—from an average of 5 seconds in 4-year-old children to an average of 21 seconds in adult male group. The MPTs of the older adults were shorter, at an average of approximately 15 seconds. The F0 values of preschool and 7-year-old children demonstrated no significant gender difference; however, gender difference appeared in 9-year-old children. The results showed that the F0s of adult females were significantly higher than those of adult males. For both genders, the F0s decreased with age, except for the older adults. The F0s of older women continued to decline, whereas those of older males increased slightly. The DDK rates increased with age, with a mean of 3.25 syllable/s, and it was fastest among all groups (mean: 5.28 syllable/s); however, the DDK rates in older adults tended to decrease (mean: 4.70 syllable/s). Although the spontaneous speech rates were slightly slower than the DDK rates, the tendency of changing with age was common for both indicators. The speech rates were moderately correlated with the DDK rates, suggesting that both of them may share the same articulatory motor control mechanism. The change of these indicators suggests that speech function generally improves with age, in terms of phonatory–respiratory efficacy, mass of vocal folds, articulatory agility, and coordination; however, the speech functions were observed to decline for older adults.

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關鍵詞: oral diadochokinetic (DDK) rate, spontaneous speech rate, speech function, fundamental frequency (F0), maximum phonation time (MPT)


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