Effects Of Simultaneous Exercise And Speech Tasks On The Perception Of

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of voice production and perception of dyspnea in aerobic instructors during simultaneous tasks of exercise and speech production. The study aimed to document changes that occur during four conditions: 1) voice production without exercise and no use of amplification; 2) voice production without exercise and the use of amplification; 3) voice production during exercise without the use of amplification; 4) voice production during exercise with the use of amplification. Participants included ten aerobic instructors (two male and eight female). The dependent variables included vocal intensity, average fundamental frequency (F0), noise-to-harmonic ratio (NHR), jitter percent (jitt %), shimmer percent (shim %), and participants\u27 self-perception of dyspnea. The results indicated that speech alone, whether it was with or without amplification, had no effect on the sensation of dyspnea. However, when combining speech with exercise, the speech task became increasingly difficult, even more so without the use of amplification. Exercise was observed to inhibit vocal loudness levels as vocal intensity measures were lowest in the conditions with exercise with the use of amplification. Increases in F0 occurred in conditions involving exercise without the use of amplification. Moreover, four participants in various conditions exhibited frequencies that diverged from their gender\u27s normal range. Participants\u27 NHR increased during periods of exercise, however no participants were found to have NHR measures outside the normal range. Four participants were found to have moderate laryngeal pathology that was hemorrhagic in nature. Findings suggest that traditional treatment protocols may need to be modified beyond hygienic approaches in order to address both the respiratory and laryngeal work-loads that are encountered in this population and others involving similar occupational tasks

Doctor of Philosophy

dissertationParkinson's Disease (PD) motor symptoms, characterized most commonly by bradykinesia, akinesia, rigidity, and tremor, are brought about through the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta, which leads to changes in electrophysiological activity throughout the basal ganglia. These symptoms are often effectively treated in the early stages of the disease by dopamine replacement therapies. However, as the disease progresses, the therapeutic window of pharmacological approaches reduces and patients develop significant side effects, even under minimally effective doses. When the disease reaches this stage, surgical therapies, such as high-frequency deep brain stimulation (DBS), are considered. DBS of the subthalamic nucleus partially treats the motor symptoms of PD and has been implemented to treat PD over 50,000 times worldwide, but its mechanisms are unclear. In this work, we set out to advance the understanding of the mechanisms, function, and malfunction of DBS as a treatment for PD, keeping in mind the idea that DBS treats PD symptoms without restoring basal ganglia neural activity to that seen under healthy conditions. First, we demonstrated that neuronal information directed from the basal ganglia to the thalamus is pathologically increased in the parkinsonian condition and reduced by DBS in a standard 6-OHDA rat model of PD. Next, we developed a rodent model of DBSs role in the exacerbation of hypokinetic dysarthria, providing a framework for the study of this poorly understood side effect of DBS. Finally, we found that DBS creates action suppression deficits independently from a parkinsonian state, and that PD creates apathy that is not rescued by DBS. Our specific results led to the interpretation that DBS, in its current form, might inherently create side effects that are largely unavoidable. Our work fits into the following overarching idea. DBS successfully treats some motor symptoms of PD through the reduction of pathological information transmission. However, the fact that reducing pathological information does not restore neural activity to that present under healthy conditions underlies some of its failures to improve certain symptoms, as well as its exacerbations and side effects

Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) Applications

The issue is dedicated to applications of Deep Brain Stimulation and, in this issue, we would like to highlight the new developments that are taking place in the field. These include the application of new technology to existing indications, as well as ‘new’ indications. We would also like to highlight the most recent clinical evidence from international multicentre trials. The issue will include articles relating to movement disorders, pain, psychiatric indications, as well as emerging indications that are not yet accompanied by clinical evidence. We look forward to your expert contribution to this exciting issue