Speech Intelligibility and Sonagraphic Evaluation of Experimental Model of Obturator-type Electrolarynx

시험적 의치형 전기후두의 어음명료도 및 소나그라프 검사

Methods of voice rehabilitation in laryngectomees include training of esophageal speech, use of electrolarynx and pneumatic speech aid and surgical methods, etc. In this paper, we introduce the experimental model of obturator-type electrolarynx which has several advantages for use such as ease of learning, no disagreeable appearance, and both hands not being occupied. We compared it to normal voice and other voice rehabilitation methods such as esophageal voice, japanese pneumatic speech aid and cervical electrolarynx in intelligibility and sonagraphic evaluation. The results are as follows; 1) Obturator-type electrolarynx exhibited the lowest intelligibility. 2) In sonagraphic evaluation, the spectrogram produced by the obturator-type electrolarynx was the most different from those of normal voice.