OBJECTIVE: To compare the voice onset time (VOT) differences of Korean stops in the initial and intervocalic positions between the aphasic patients with peculiarities of aspiration and a control group. METHOD: We examined 15 aphasic patients (nine males, six females) who had suffered a stroke (average age 49.7 years) and 15 healthy controls (average age 47.4 years). An aphasia examination was made by an aphasia battery of three standard tests and VOT was analyzed instrumentally. Stop consonants in the initial and intervocalic position were measured to categorize them according to aphasia types, place of articulation, and manner of articulation. RESULTS: VOT of the aphasic patients with peculiarities of aspiration had a greater difference than that of the controls, indicating that the temporal non-coordination between the laryngeal adjustment and oral articulators of aphasic patients happens due to the VOT of stops in the initial and intervocalic positions (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: VOT of stop consonants in the initial position produced by aphasic patients tends to be proportional to their breathing. It can cause glottal width and make aphasic patients' VOT duration longer. Lastly, the method to measure the VOT of aphasic patients is more significant for the types of phonation than for the places of articulation, and makes it possible to induce abnormal VOT.
Aphasia ; Dental Articulators ; Humans ; Hypogonadism ; Male ; Mitochondrial Diseases ; Ophthalmoplegia ; Phonation ; Respiration ; Stroke ; Voice

BACKGROUND: At present, lamivudine-interferon combination therapy is being tried on chronic hepatitis B patients who had no significant response to interferon-alpha mono-therapy. The therapeutic effect of lamivudine-interferon combination therapy is showing various outcomes depending on the period of therapy and the status of the patient. Thus we conducted this study to compare the therapeutic effect of lamivudine-interferon combination therapy versus interferon-alpha monotherapy in korean patients with chronic hepatitis B. METHOD: Among the chronic hepatitis B patients, 138 patients who showed positive to HBeAg, and serum HBV DNA levels are over 5 pg/mL and serum ALT levels are over 40 IU/L were allocated to IFN-alpha monotherapy group (70 patients) and lamivudine-interferon combination therapy group (66 patients). We compared two groups on ALT normalization rate, HBeAg seroconversion rate, HBV DNA loss rate and HBeAg loss rate in both group. IFN-alpha was percutaneously injected three times a week. Mean administered dose was 27125 (+/-11841) MU and mean administered duration was 6.4 (+/-1.6) months. Lamivudine was concomitantly and continuously administered with IFN-alpha for over 6 months (mean 13.2 +/- 16.5). The lamivudine therapy was terminated at the point when HBeAg turned positive into negative. RESULTS: Mean follow-up period was 28 months. HBeAg loss rate was 40.9% in lamivudine- interferon combination therapy group and 28.6% in IFN-alpha monotherapy group on the 12th month of the therapy, showing there was no significant difference between the two groups (p=0.13). HBeAg seroconversion rate was 40.9% in lamivudine-interferon combination therapy group and 21.4% in IFN-alpha monotherapy group on the 12th month of the therapy (p=0.014). HBV DNA loss rate was 90.9% in lamivudine-interferon combination therapy group and 88.6% in IFN-alpha monotherapy group within 12months of the therapy, showing there was no significant difference between the two groups (p=0.35). Serum ALT normalization rate was 92.4% in lamivudine-interferon combination therapy group and 85.7% in IFN-alpha monotherapy group within 12months of the therapy, showing there was no significant difference between the two groups (p=0.11). CONCLUSION: The lamivudine-interferon combination therapy compared to the Interferon-alpha monotherapy showed a statistically significant higher HBeAg seroconversion rate.
DNA ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hepatitis B ; Hepatitis B e Antigens ; Hepatitis B, Chronic* ; Hepatitis, Chronic* ; Humans ; Interferon-alpha* ; Interferons* ; Lamivudine