Multidimensional acoustic analysis of pathological voice

Abstract

There are subjective and objective ways to examine the effects of vocal therapy in voice disorders. The most precise and objective check-up is the use of computer voice analysis. The aim of the research was to perform a detailed analysis of acoustic structure of the vowel A before and after voice treatment in patients with vocal fold nodules in order to obtain objective verification of the vocal rehabilitation success. We examined 30 female patients, aged 34.6 +/- 6.69 years, with vocal fold nodules. Acoustic parameters of voice were compared with the control group consisting of 21 subjects without voice pathology. In all persons the vowel A was recorded and analyzed before and after a month of vocal therapy. The success of the vocal therapy was tracked using computer analysis of vocal structure. Signal, noise and tremor parameters were processed. Of the analyzed vowel A parameters: STD, PER, JITA, JITT, RAP, vFO, ShdB, SHIM, APQ, VTI, SPI, FO, NHR, FTRI, eleven improved (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01). Three parameters (FO, NHR, FTRI) changed showing improvement, but the obtained differences were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Based on the obtained results it was concluded that vocal therapy gave satisfactory results, but that it should be continually applied until full stabilization of the voice.