Convergent evidence for a pitch deficit in hyperfunctional voice disorders.

Abstract

A recent study in individuals with hyperfunctional voice disorders (HVDs) reported poorer fo discrimination compared to matched controls. In that study, fo discrimination was measured using each individual's own voice as the stimulus, which may have introduced confounds given the differences in vocal quality between the groups. Here, this paper addressed this possibility by using an fo discrimination task where participants with and without HVDs judged the same external voice. In line with the previous study, the HVD group exhibited poorer fo discrimination than controls, providing convergent evidence for a pitch-related auditory deficit in this population.