Acoustic Analysis of Changes in Articulation Proficiency in Patients with Advanced Head and Neck Cancer Treated with Chemoradiotherapy

摘要: Objectives: Our aim was to characterize articulation proficiency and differences between tumor sites before after chemoradiotherapy for advanced head neck cancer with the help of acoustic measures. further goal improve objective speech measures gain insight into muscle functioning treatment. Methods: In 34 patients laryngeal or hypopharyngeal, nasal nasopharyngeal, oral oropharyngeal cancer, we acoustically analyzed nasality, vowel space, precision, strength in 12 sounds (/alpha/, /i/, /u/, /p/, /s/, /z/, /1/, /t/, /tj/, /k/, /x/, /r/) treatment 10 weeks 1 year Outcomes were compared assessment points sites. Results: Nasality nonlaryngeal significantly reduced by Most affected sites, followed nasopharyngeal One treatment, space had not recovered consonant weakened. Laryngeal less Conclusions: Analyses articulatory-acoustic features are a useful instrument assessing quality objectively. Assessment number representing various manners, places, tongue shapes revealed patterns deterioration chemoradiotherapy. The results suggest that patients' could benefit from exercises address changes coordination and/or sensitivity counteract side effects "underexercise" atrophy.