PURPOSE: To evaluate the constancy of the acoustic measures fundamental frequency, percentage jitter, frequency perturbation quotient (FPQ), shimmer (dB), percentage shimmer, amplitude perturbation quotient (APQ), and harmonic-to-noise ratio (HNR), obtained from consecutive phonations of a sustained vowel, in women without vocal complaint and women with dysphonia. METHODS: The selected acoustic parameters were assessed in three different groups: 20 women without vocal complaint, 20 women with dysphonia and vocal nodules, and ten women with dysphonia and Reinke's edema. The acoustic analysis was carried out using the Multi-Speech Model 3700 computer program, from Kay Elemetrics®. Recordings were made of a sustained /ε/ vowel, produced 15 consecutive times. RESULTS: The values of fundamental frequency showed statistically significant variability up to the 6th token for the group without vocal complaint and for the group with dysphonia and vocal nodules. Values of jitter, FPQ, shimmer (dB), percentage shimmer, APQ and HNR didn't show significant differences in any of the groups. CONCLUSIONS: Acoustic measures of different consecutive phonations of the same sustained vowel are constant, except for fundamental frequency, which can increase during the first phonations of individuals without vocal complaint and subjects with dysphonia and vocal nodules.
Voice; Voice disorders; Speech acoustic; Phonation; Women
