Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences

The purpose of this study was to identify the extent to which various measurements of contacting parameters differ between children and adults during habitual range and overlap vocal frequency/intensity using electroglottographic wave shape analyses. The contact phase, pulse skewness, maximum rate-of-change of contact, and cycle-to-cycle variability was significantly different in children: (1) compared to adult males for habitual range, and (2) compared to adult makes and adult females for the overlap vocal frequency/intensity. The absence of the ‘knee’ on the decontacting slope of the EGG pulse in children was also a consistent study finding. In conclusion, the findings provide preliminary evidence that vocal fold motion, as evaluated noninvasive using EGG in children is complex and note easily predicted from adult normative findings.