06. Sustained phonation ('ahh')
Next, subjects were instructed to complete the sustained phonation task (30 seconds max). During this task, subjects were asked to say the vowel “/a/” for as long as they could hold their breath - for up to 30 seconds total. Note that this sustained phonation task has been used across a wide range of studies to measure motor (Parkinson’s disease) and respiratory symptoms (e.g. COVID-19). This task can help generalize across various regions, accents, and languages. Subjects could stop the timer early here.
