Speaking Pitch Research Articles

Voice Outcomes of Straw Phonation Exercises for Telephone Customer Service Staff

This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a straw phonation exercise program in preventing voice problems in telephone customer service staff. Prospective study. Twenty-eight participants with no obvious voice problems were placed into two groups: the experimental (n=13) and control (n=15) groups. The experimental group received voice hygiene instructions and participated in a 3-week straw phonation exercise program, while the control group only received voice hygiene instructions. The acoustic parameters and Mandarin Chinese version of the Vocal Fatigue Index (CVFI) scores were statistically analyzed before training, immediately after training, followed up one and 3 months after training. The results showed that speaking fundamental frequency (SF0), shimmer, and cepstral peak prominence (CPP) of the experimental group improved immediately after the straw phonation exercise program, and shimmer of the experimental group after training was also significantly lower than that of the control group. A higher SF0 and lower shimmer were noted in the experimental group during the follow-up phase, whereas factors 1 (voice load and fatigue) and 2 (physiological symptoms) of the CVFI did not differ significantly until the third month after training. The study results suggest that the straw phonation exercise program can help telephone service staff to establish an appropriate speaking pitch and prevent voice fatigue.

Behavioral Treatment Approaches to Lowering Pitch in the Female Voice

To assess the outcomes of three voice therapy treatment approaches with an emphasis on lowering speaking pitch. Transmasculine and cisgender individuals may desire to lower their speaking pitch, yet there has not been a method described in the literature to do this effectively using only behavioral techniques. To investigate these approaches, we enrolled 32 adult cisgender females and randomly assigned them to one of four treatment groups: vocal function exercises (VFE), resonant voice therapy (RVT), lip-rounding therapy (LRT), and a control group. Participants received individual instruction and feedback on the given exercise program, and they continued to practice daily for 4 weeks. Acoustic recordings were collected before treatment, immediately after the first session, and after 4 weeks of treatment. Results showed a lower minimum pitch in the physiological range, lower speaking fundamental frequency (SFF) in reading, and lower SFF in spontaneous speech-with treatment groups performing better than the control group. Additionally, participants' self-rating of the vocal effort expended to speak in a low pitch decreased over the treatment period. Each treatment approach (VFE, RVT, and LRT) was successful in lowering the speaking pitch of cisgender females. These methods would likely be useful for clients seeking to speak in a lower pitch. Future research may expand results to include clinical populations, such as transmasculine individuals.

Female Voice-Related Sexual Attractiveness to Males: Does it Vary With Different Degrees of Conception Likelihood?

Previous investigations have found that female voice-related attractiveness to males increases when both conception likelihood (CL) and voice fundamental frequency (fo) are elevated. To test this hypothesis, we conducted a perceptual experiment where 78 heterosexual males rated sexual attractiveness of 9 female voice samples, recorded at menstrual, follicular and luteal phases of the menstrual cycle under two double-blinded randomly allocated conditions: a natural menstrual cycle (placebo condition) and when using an oral contraceptive pill (OCP condition). The voice samples yielded a total of 54 stimuli that were visually sorted and rated using Visor software. Concentrations of estrogens, progesterone and testosterone were analyzed, and measurements of speaking fundamental frequency (sfo) and its standard deviation (sfoSD), fo derivative (dfo) and fo slope were made. A multilevel ordinal logistic regression model nested in listeners and in females, and adjusted by phase and condition, was carried out to assess the association between ratings and: (1) phases and conditions; (2) sex steroid hormonal concentrations; and (3) voice parameters. A high probability of obtaining high ratings of voice sexual attractiveness was found for: (1) menstrual phase of placebo use and follicular phase of OCP use; (2) for low estradiol to progesterone ratio and testosterone concentrations; and (3) for low dfo. The latter showed a moderate statistical association with ratings of high attractiveness, as compared with the small association found for the remaining variables. It seems that the voice is a weak cue for female CL. Female sexual attraction to males may be a consequence of what females do in order to regulate their extended sexuality across the menstrual cycle rather than of estrus cues, the use of paralinguistic speech patterns being an example.

Adapting Vocal Function Exercises for Voice Masculinization

Purpose The aim of this clinical focus article is to discuss the role of gender-diverse vocal function exercises (VFEs) in the context of voice and communication therapy for transgender men. Current literature on behavioral intervention with this population is very limited, and we present gender-diverse VFEs as a reasonable intervention approach. Method We developed a protocol for VFEs specific to voice masculinization, and we present a case study in which this technique was used for a transmasculine client who had not undergone hormone replacement therapy. Results Clinical measurements (acoustic, perceptual, and client self-rating) were collected before and after a course of voice therapy. Findings demonstrate decreased habitual speaking pitch and improved voice-related quality of life at the end of therapy, indicating successful outcomes for voice masculinization. Conclusions The recommended protocol for gender-diverse VFEs allows the trans male client to efficiently strengthen and coordinate the subsystems of voice production, particularly in the lower limits of his range. This clinical focus article also describes the need for strong research evidence to support all treatment modalities for transmasculine therapy, and this protocol offers one avenue for future investigations.

Suomalaisten naisopiskelijoiden luennan perustaajuuden muutos 1990-luvulta 2010-luvulle

Puhekorkeus on sekä yksilöllinen ja tilannekohtainen että myös sosiaalinen muuttuja. Eri maissa on viimeisen sadan vuoden aikana raportoitu naisten puhekorkeuden laskua. Puhekorkeuden muutoksen oletetaan heijastelevan yhteiskunnallisia muutoksia. Keskimääräistä puhekorkeutta mitataan usein perustaajuuden keskiarvolla ja mediaanilla. Tässä tutkimuksessa tarkastellaan suomalaisten yliopistossa opiskelevien naisten perustaajuuden (fo) keskiarvoa ja mediaania 160-sanaisessa, noin minuutin mittaisessa neutraalissa tekstiluennassa, joka on äänitetty 1990- ja 2010-luvuilla. Tutkimuksen aineisto on peräisin Tampereen yliopiston Puheen ja äänen tutkimuksen laboratorion äänitearkistosta. Tutkimukseen valittiin satunnaisesti 136 (N) 20–25-vuotiasta naista, joilla ei ollut tiedossa ääntöelimistön tai kuulon sairauksia, ja joiden ääni oli kuulonvaraisesti arvioituna normaali. Näytteet oli taltioitu vaimennetussa äänitysstudiossa digitaalisesti mittamikrofonia käyttäen, ja ne analysoitiin Praat-ohjelmalla. Perustaajuuden keskiarvo näyttää nousseen aiemmasta 195,7 Hz:stä 210,6 Hz:iin ja mediaani 190,9 Hz:stä 203,2 Hz:iin. Muutokset ovat tilastollisesti merkitseviä (Studentin t-testi, p = < 0,001 molemmissa). Vieraiden kielten ja globaalin viihdekulttuurin vaikutus voinee osaltaan selittää muutosta.

The Vocal Tract in Loud Twang-Like Singing While Producing High and Low Pitches

This study investigates the possible contribution of the lower and upper vocal tract configurations during loud twang-like singing on high and low pitches in a real subject. One male contemporary commercial music singer produced a sustained vowel [a:] in his habitual speaking pitch (B2) and loudness. The same vowel was also produced in a loud twang-like singing voice on high (G4) and low pitches (B2). Computerized tomography, acoustic analysis, inverse filtering, and audio-perceptual assessments were performed. Both loud twang-like voices showed a megaphone-like shape of the vocal tract, being more notable on the low pitch. Also, low-frequency spectral changes, a peak of sound energy around 3 kHz and increased vocal fold adduction were found. Results agreed with audio-perceptual evaluation. Loud twang-like phonation seems to be mainly related to low-frequency spectral changes (under 2 kHz) and a more compact formant structure. Twang-like qualities seem to require different degrees of twang-related vocal tract adjustments while phonating in different pitches. A wider mouth opening, pharyngeal constriction, and epilaryngeal tube narrowing may be helpful strategies for maximum power transfer and improved vocal economy in loud contemporary commercial music singing and potentially in loud speech. Further studies should focus on vocal efficiency and vocal economy measurements using modeling and simulation, based on real-singers' data.

Pediatric dysphonia: It's not about the nodules

ObjectiveDespite the fact that vocal nodules are the most common cause of chronic dysphonia in children, uncertainty and lack of consensus complicates practically every diagnostic and management decision. Selecting an optimal staging system is fundamental to understanding a disease process, mandatory for uniform reporting, and crucial to predicting natural history and treatment outcomes. The ideal prognostic model for vocal nodules is under intense debate. The purpose of this study was to analyze the predictive power of vocal nodule grade to severity of voice metrics in children. MethodsSeventy-nine patients diagnosed with vocal cord nodules between 2006 and 2012 were drawn from UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh Voice, Resonance and Swallowing Center Research Registry. Subject age at time of diagnosis, nodule grade, relevant co-morbidities, scores on The Consensus Auditory-Perceptual Evaluation of Voice (CAPE-V), parent-reported Pediatric Voice Handicap Index (pVHI), the phonotraumatic behaviors profile, habitual speaking pitch fundamental frequencies, pitch range, volume intensity, and s/z ratio were recorded and compiled into a de-identified database for analysis. ResultsBased on the Kruskal-Wallis H Test, there was no statistically significant correlation between nodule grade and total pitch range (p = .21), s/z ratio (p = .50), volume intensity (p = .33), overall CAPE-V Scores (p = .15), or pVHI Scores (p = .29). Chi-squared tests also revealed no significant associations between nodule grade and abnormality in habitual speaking pitch (p = .14 for fundamental frequency while sustaining a vowel sound, p = .37 for fundamental frequency while speaking structured tasks i.e. counting, or p = .76 while speaking in conversation). ConclusionThe current “gold-standard” for grading vocal nodule size suggests that the nodules themselves are not driving the standard dysphonic metrics that are most commonly collected and monitored in such children. This outcome is consistent with other studies reporting similar findings and was expected based on the inconsistencies in the reported literature to date. By extension, the conventional wisdom of avoiding surgical treatment of vocal nodules in children seems prudent as there is little evidence to suggest that the nodules themselves are “driving” the severity of the dysphonia. Ultimately identifying the true “drivers” of dysphonia in children will suggest alternative therapies that are more specific and directed to the pathophysiology. Most pediatric voice care professionals will welcome such discoveries as those in the front line of patient care are often rendered helpless and frustrated.

Individualized Patient Vocal Priorities for Tailored Therapy

The purposes of this study are to introduce the concept of vocal priorities based on acoustic correlates, to develop an instrument to determine these vocal priorities, and to analyze the pattern of vocal priorities in patients with voice disorders. Questions probing the importance of 5 vocal attributes (vocal clarity, loudness, mean speaking pitch, pitch range, vocal endurance) were generated from consensus conference involving speech-language pathologists, laryngologists, and voice scientists, as well as patient feedback. The responses to the preliminary items from 213 subjects were subjected to exploratory factor analysis, which confirmed 4 of the predefined domains. The final instrument consisted of a 16-item Vocal Priority Questionnaire probing the relative importance of clarity, loudness, mean speaking pitch, and pitch range. The Vocal Priority Questionnaire had high reliability (Cronbach's α = .824) and good construct validity. A majority of the cohort (61%) ranked vocal clarity as their highest vocal priority, and 20%, 12%, and 7% ranked loudness, mean speaking pitch, and pitch range, respectively, as their highest priority. The frequencies of the highest ranked priorities did not differ by voice diagnosis or by sex. Considerable individual variation in vocal priorities existed within these large trends. A patient's vocal priorities can be identified and taken into consideration in planning behavioral or surgical intervention for a voice disorder. Inclusion of vocal priorities in treatment planning empowers the patient in shared decision making, helps the clinician tailor treatment, and may also improve therapy compliance.

How Much Loading Does Water Resistance Voice Therapy Impose on the Vocal Folds? An Experimental Human Study

Water resistance voice therapy applies phonation into water through a tube. This study investigates how strenuous this therapy can be for the vocal folds in terms of impact stress (IS). It further examines whether it is possible to estimate the IS using the contact quotient (CQ) and maximum derivative from an electroglottogram (EGG). Experimental study. A male participant sustained a rounded back vowel [u:] or [o:] at a comfortable speaking pitch and loudness, and phonated into a silicone "Lax Vox" tube submerged 2 cm in water. High-speed videolaryngoscopy was performed with a rigid scope. Oral air pressure (Poral) was registered in a mouthpiece through which an endoscope was inserted into the larynx. An EGG was recorded. The CQEGG from the EGG and the closed quotient from the glottal width (CQarea) increased, while the maximum glottal amplitude and absolute value of derivative minimum (dmin) and also the derivative maximum from the EGG decreased for phonation into water. Normalized amplitude quotient from the glottal width variation also decreased but the change was not significant. Based on the glottal area findings, water resistance therapy does not seem to increase vocal fold loading (in terms of increased IS) even if the increase of CQarea, and CQEGG suggest so. CQEGG may qualitatively correspond to that of area, but the reliability of CQ (from the glottal area or the EGG) and the maximum derivative from the EGG as estimates of IS in semiocclusion exercises warrant further studies.

A Computerized Tomography Study of Vocal Tract Setting in Hyperfunctional Dysphonia and in Belting

Vocal tract setting in hyperfunctional patients is characterized by a high larynx and narrowing of the epilaryngeal and pharyngeal region. Similar observations have been made for various singing styles, eg, belting. The voice quality in belting has been described to be loud, speech like, and high pitched. It is also often described as sounding "pressed" or "tense". The above mentioned has led to the hypothesis that belting may be strenuous to the vocal folds. However, singers and teachers of belting do not regard belting as particularly strenuous. This study investigates possible similarities and differences between hyperfunctional voice production and belting. This study concerns vocal tract setting. Four male patients with hyperfunctional dysphonia and one male contemporary commercial music singer were registered with computerized tomography while phonating on [a:] in their habitual speaking pitch. Additionally, the singer used the pitch G4 in belting. The scannings were studied in sagittal and transversal dimensions by measuring lengths, widths, and areas. Various similarities were found between belting and hyperfunction: high vertical larynx position, small hypopharyngeal width, and epilaryngeal outlet. On the other hand, belting differed from dysphonia (in addition to higher pitch) by a wider lip and jaw opening, and larger volumes of the oral cavity. Belting takes advantage of "megaphone shape" of the vocal tract. Future studies should focus on modeling and simulation to address sound energy transfer. Also, they should consider aerodynamic variables and vocal fold vibration to evaluate the "price of decibels" in these phonation types.

How Stressful Is “Deep Bubbling”?

Water resistance therapy by phonating through a tube into the water is used to treat dysphonia. Deep submersion (≥10 cm in water, "deep bubbling") is used for hypofunctional voice disorders. Using it with caution is recommended to avoid vocal overloading. This experimental study aimed to investigate how strenuous "deep bubbling" is. Fourteen subjects, half of them with voice training, repeated the syllable [pa:] in comfortable speaking pitch and loudness, loudly, and in strained voice. Thereafter, they phonated a vowel-like sound both in comfortable loudness and loudly into a glass resonance tube immersed 10 cm into the water. Oral pressure, contact quotient (CQ, calculated from electroglottographic signal), and sound pressure level were studied. The peak oral pressure P(oral) during [p] and shuttering of the outer end of the tube was measured to estimate the subglottic pressure P(sub) and the mean P(oral) during vowel portions to enable calculation of transglottic pressure P(trans). Sensations during phonation were reported with an open-ended interview. P(sub) and P(oral) were higher in "deep bubbling" and P(trans) lower than in loud syllable phonation, but the CQ did not differ significantly. Similar results were obtained for the comparison between loud "deep bubbling" and strained phonation, although P(sub) did not differ significantly. Most of the subjects reported "deep bubbling" to be stressful only for respiratory and lip muscles. No big differences were found between trained and untrained subjects. The CQ values suggest that "deep bubbling" may increase vocal fold loading. Further studies should address impact stress during water resistance exercises.

The Value of Vocal Extent Measure (VEM) Assessing Phonomicrosurgical Outcomes in Vocal Fold Polyps

This study aimed to present vocal extent measure (VEM), demonstrate its changes with phonomicrosurgical treatment in patients with vocal fold polyps (VFPs), and to compare its performance to that of established vocal parameters. This is an individual cohort study. Microlaryngoscopic ablation was executed in 61 patients with manifestation of VFP (28 male, 33 female; 45 ± 13 years [mean ± SD]). Analysis of treatment outcome was based on pre- and postoperative voice function diagnostics and videolaryngostroboscopy. Examination instruments were: auditory-perceptual voice assessment (roughness, breathiness, and overall hoarseness [RBH]-status), voice range profile (VRP), acoustic-aerodynamic analysis, and patients' self-assessment of voice using the voice handicap index. The VEM, a parameter not yet commonly established in phoniatric diagnostics, was calculated from area and shape of the VRP to be compared with the dysphonia severity index (DSI) concerning diagnostic suitability. All polyps were completely excised. Three months postoperatively, mucosal wave propagation had recovered. All subjective and most objective acoustic and aerodynamic parameters showed highly significant improvement. The VHI-9i-score decreased from 15 ± 8 to 6 ± 7 points. The average total vocal range extended by 4 ± 5 semitones, the mean speaking pitch decreased by 1 ± 2 semitones. The DSI increased on average from 2.6 ± 2.1 to 4.0 ± 2.2, VEM from 83 ± 28 to 107 ± 21 (P < 0.01). VEM and DSI correlated significantly with each other (rs = 0.65; P < 0.01). Phonomicrosurgery of VFP is an objectively and subjectively satisfactory therapy for voice improvement. The VEM represents a comprehensible and easy-to-use unidimensional measure for objective VRP evaluation. This positive measure of vocal function seems to be a compelling diagnostic addition for objective quantification of vocal performance.

Vocal Tract and Glottal Function During and After Vocal Exercising With Resonance Tube and Straw

The present study aimed to investigate the vocal tract and glottal function during and after phonation into a tube and a stirring straw. A male classically trained singer was assessed. Computerized tomography (CT) was performed when the subject produced [a:] at comfortable speaking pitch, phonated into the resonance tube and when repeating [a:] after the exercise. Similar procedure was performed with a narrow straw after 15 minutes silence. Anatomic distances and area measures were obtained from CT midsagittal and transversal images. Acoustic, perceptual, electroglottographic (EGG), and subglottic pressure measures were also obtained. During and after phonation into the tube or straw, the velum closed the nasal passage better, the larynx position lowered, and hypopharynx area widened. Moreover, the ratio between the inlet of the lower pharynx and the outlet of the epilaryngeal tube became larger during and after tube/straw phonation. Acoustic results revealed a stronger spectral prominence in the singer/speaker's formant cluster region after exercising. Listening test demonstrated better voice quality after straw/tube than before. Contact quotient derived from EGG decreased during both tube and straw and remained lower after exercising. Subglottic pressure increased during straw and remained somewhat higher after it. CT and acoustic results indicated that vocal exercises with increased vocal tract impedance lead to increased vocal efficiency and economy. One of the major changes was the more prominent singer's/speaker's formant cluster. Vocal tract and glottal modifications were more prominent during and after straw exercising compared with tube phonation.

Feminization laryngoplasty: assessment of surgical pitch elevation

The aim of this study is to analyze change in pitch following feminization laryngoplasty, a technique to alter the vocal tract of male to female transgender patients. This is a retrospective review of 94 patients undergoing feminization laryngoplasty between June 2002 and April 2012 of which 76 individuals completed follow-up audio recordings. Feminization laryngoplasty is a procedure removing the anterior thyroid cartilage, collapsing the diameter of the larynx as well as shortening and tensioning the vocal folds to raise the pitch. Changes in comfortable speaking pitch, lowest vocal pitch and highest vocal pitch are assessed before and after surgery. Acoustic parameters of speaking pitch and vocal range were compared between pre- and postoperative results. The average comfortable speaking pitch preoperatively, C3# (139 Hz), was raised an average of six semitones to G3 (196 Hz), after surgical intervention. The lowest attainable pitch was raised an average of seven semitones and the highest attainable pitch decreased by an average of two semitones. One aspect of the procedure, thyrohyoid approximation (introduced in 2006 to alter resonance), did not affect pitch. Feminization laryngoplasty successfully increased the comfortable fundamental frequency of speech and removed the lowest notes from the patient's vocal range. It does not typically raise the upper limits of the vocal range.

The dysphonic videolaryngoscopy with stroboscopy paradox and challenge of acquired subglottic stenosis after laryngotracheal reconstruction

ObjectiveThere's no greater challenge in pediatric laryngology than diagnosis and treatment of chronic dysphonia following laryngotracheal reconstruction of acquired subglottic stenosis. Videolaryngoscopy with stroboscopy provides incomparable diagnostic information to fiberoptic endoscopy. Unfortunately, this pediatric subpopulation which would benefit the most from videolaryngoscopy with stroboscopy infrequently does. We present the unique videolaryngostroboscopic patterns with their diagnostic and treatment implications in this complex population. MethodsFrom a total database of 113 children with histories of subglottic stenosis and/or airway reconstruction between January 1, 2000 and September 30, 2011, successive frames of recorded videolaryngostroboscopies in twenty-three dysphonic children were reviewed. These stroboscopies were compared to age and gender matched controls with dysphonia due to vocal nodules consecutively analyzed from the time period 2009–2011. To validate the similarity of our patient population to others previously reported, we also collected the standardized perceptual, acoustic, and aerodynamic measures of voice analysis and parent/patient reported quality of life. ResultsThe voices of patients’ pre- and post-airway reconstruction are typically moderately breathy and harsh in voice quality with the majority exhibiting a restricted pitch range and vocal strain. Reduced vocal volume intensity and low habitual speaking pitch were common. Overall, the severity of voice fell within the moderately dysphonic range.Despite universal glottic aperture incompetence, muscle tension dysphonia of the true vocal cords was seen. The glottic muscle tension was confirmed indirectly by noting a consistent “posterior cricoarytenoid bulge.” In addition, our group termed a unique pattern of “circumferential supraglottic squeeze” which included both lateral plica ventricularis (false vocal folds) and anteroposterior squeeze opposing the arytenoids to the epiglottic petiole (termed by our group as “arytenoid hooding”). In no patients were the true vocal cords fully visualized. While superficially appearing as hyperfunction, these findings paradoxically represented compensation for laryngeal hypofunction marking the hyperfunction not the problem but a symptom. Actual “mucosal waves” were seen involving the false vocal cords. ConclusionsVideolaryngoscopy with stroboscopy results in patterns that are not only unique to patients after airway reconstruction for subglottic stenosis but are also critical for both surgical and non-surgical treatment of chronic dysphonia in these children.

Laryngeal synovial cell sarcoma in an 11 year old boy: Challenges of management and rehabilitation

Despite the fact that vocal nodules are the most common cause of chronic dysphonia in children, uncertainty and lack of consensus complicates practically every diagnostic and management decision. Selecting an optimal staging system is fundamental to understanding a disease process, mandatory for uniform reporting, and crucial to predicting natural history and treatment outcomes. The ideal prognostic model for vocal nodules is under intense debate. The purpose of this study was to analyze the predictive power of vocal nodule grade to severity of voice metrics in children.Seventy-nine patients diagnosed with vocal cord nodules between 2006 and 2012 were drawn from UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh Voice, Resonance and Swallowing Center Research Registry. Subject age at time of diagnosis, nodule grade, relevant co-morbidities, scores on The Consensus Auditory-Perceptual Evaluation of Voice (CAPE-V), parent-reported Pediatric Voice Handicap Index (pVHI), the phonotraumatic behaviors profile, habitual speaking pitch fundamental frequencies, pitch range, volume intensity, and s/z ratio were recorded and compiled into a de-identified database for analysis.Based on the Kruskal-Wallis H Test, there was no statistically significant correlation between nodule grade and total pitch range (p = .21), s/z ratio (p = .50), volume intensity (p = .33), overall CAPE-V Scores (p = .15), or pVHI Scores (p = .29). Chi-squared tests also revealed no significant associations between nodule grade and abnormality in habitual speaking pitch (p = .14 for fundamental frequency while sustaining a vowel sound, p = .37 for fundamental frequency while speaking structured tasks i.e. counting, or p = .76 while speaking in conversation).The current “gold-standard” for grading vocal nodule size suggests that the nodules themselves are not driving the standard dysphonic metrics that are most commonly collected and monitored in such children. This outcome is consistent with other studies reporting similar findings and was expected based on the inconsistencies in the reported literature to date. By extension, the conventional wisdom of avoiding surgical treatment of vocal nodules in children seems prudent as there is little evidence to suggest that the nodules themselves are “driving” the severity of the dysphonia. Ultimately identifying the true “drivers” of dysphonia in children will suggest alternative therapies that are more specific and directed to the pathophysiology. Most pediatric voice care professionals will welcome such discoveries as those in the front line of patient care are often rendered helpless and frustrated.

Voice pitch characteristics of Cantonese and English produced by Cantonese-English bilingual children

Two-minute spontaneous conversational speech of English and Cantonese was obtained from 86 Cantonese-English bilingual children. As a physical measurement of the rate of vocal fold vibration during speech production, fundamental frequency (F0) characteristics including the mean speaking F0, pitch sigma, minimum and maximum F0 values were measured from the medial 60-second portion of the speech samples by using Praat. F0 data measured from the English and Cantonese productions were statistically compared. Significant correlation was found for speaking F0, pitch sigma, and F0 range values between Cantonese and English. Results indicated that speaking F0 and F0 range values were significantly lower in Cantonese than in English. It is speculated that such difference is related to the tonal nature of Cantonese, although language proficiency may play a role in the discrepant F0 findings.

A Comparison of the Effects of Voice Massage™ and Voice Hygiene Lecture on Self-Reported Vocal Well-Being and Acoustic and Perceptual Speech Parameters in Female Teachers

This study compared the effects of Voice Massage™ (VM) and a voice hygiene lecture (VHL) on 60 female teachers. VM is a Finnish massage method which treats muscles related to voice production. All subjects attended the VHL (3 h). Half of them were randomly assigned to the VM group, the other half received only VHL. VM was given 5 times in 1-hour sessions at intervals of 1–2 weeks. At the beginning and end of the autumn school term, before and after a working day, (1) a 1-min reading sample was recorded at both the subject’s habitual loudness and loudly, (2) a prolonged phonation on [a:] was recorded at habitual speaking pitch and (3) a questionnaire on voice quality, ease or difficulty of phonation, and tiredness of the throat was completed. The reading samples were analysed for the fundamental frequency (F₀), equivalent sound level (Leq) and α-ratio [Leq (1–5 kHz) – Leq (50–1,000 Hz)]. The vowel samples were analysed for the F₀ and Leq, as well as for jitter and shimmer. The reading samples were also evaluated perceptually by 3 speech trainers. The mean F₀ and difficulty of phonation increased from the beginning to the end of the term in the VHL group (p = 0.026, p = 0.007, respectively). In the VM group, the perceived firmness of loud reading decreased (p = 0.026). The results suggest that VM may help in sustaining vocal well-being during a school term.

Acoustic Measures and Self-reports of Vocal Fatigue by Female Teachers

This study investigated the relation of symptoms of vocal fatigue to acoustic variables reflecting type of voice production and the effects of vocal loading. Seventy-nine female primary school teachers volunteered as subjects. Before and after a working day, (1) a 1-minute text reading sample was recorded at habitual loudness and loudly (as in large classroom), (2) a prolonged phonation on [a:] was recorded at habitual speaking pitch and loudness, and (3) a questionnaire about voice quality, ease, or difficulty of phonation and tiredness of throat was completed. The samples were analyzed for average fundamental frequency (F0), sound pressure level (SPL), and phonation type reflecting alpha ratio (SPL [1-5 kHz]-SPL [50 Hz-1 kHz]). The vowel samples were additionally analyzed for perturbation (jitter and shimmer). After a working day, F0, SPL, and alpha ratio were higher, jitter and shimmer values were lower, and more tiredness of throat was reported. The average levels of the acoustic parameters did not correlate with the symptoms. Increase in jitter and mean F0 in loud reading correlated with tiredness of throat. The results seem to suggest that, at least among experienced vocal professionals, voice production type had little relevance from the point of view of vocal fatigue reported. Differences in the acoustic parameters after a vocally loading working day mainly seem to reflect increased muscle activity as a consequence of vocal loading.

Efficacy of Conservative Voice Treatment in Male-to-Female Transsexuals

A voice assessment was performed before and after conservative voice treatment in 3 male-to-female transsexuals and in 2 nontreated transsexuals serving as control persons. The characteristics studied were voice quality, habitual speaking pitch, vocal pitch range, vocal intensity range, maximum phonation time and ‘communicative impairment’, a subjective self-estimation by the patient. Based on these parameters the Friedrich dysphonia index (DI) was calculated. The habitual speaking pitch of the 3 transsexuals who had received voice treatment became female, in contrast to that of the nontreated transsexuals, which remained in the so-called ‘indifferent pitch range’. The DI of the treated patients was close to the normal value, in contrast to the DI of controls, which continued to be pathological. Even based on this small population, study results reflected the effectiveness of voice therapy in transsexuals.