Abstract
To determine the effectiveness of auditory masking and intraoral anesthetics on speech, certain motor and sensory tests were administered under 4 conditions: (1) auditory masking and oral anesthesia, (2) oral anesthesia alone, (3) auditory masking alone, and (4) normal. These speech samples were compared with a sample judged to be of “moderate” defectiveness by clinical standards. Within the limitations of the study, 3 conclusions appear justified. (1) One's own auditory feedback can be effectively eliminated by a combination of white and sawtooth noise. (2) Tactile sensation can be eliminated from the oral cavity without significantly interfering with motor innervation. (3) Speech that is intelligible and exhibits a degree of defectiveness which is less than that of a clinically “moderate” speech problem can be produced without oral tactile and auditory feedback.
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