Vocal Acoustics Research Articles

Characterization of upper esophageal sphincter pressures relative to vocal acoustics.

Strength of vocal fold adduction has been hypothesized to be a critical factor influencing vocal acoustics but has been difficult to measure directly during phonation. Recent work has suggested that upper esophageal sphincter (UES) pressure, which can be easily assessed, increases with stronger vocal fold adduction, raising the possibility that UES pressure might indirectly reflect vocal fold adduction strength. However, concurrent UES pressure and vocal acoustics have not previously been examined across different vocal tasks. Doing so may offer insights into the potential use of UES pressure for relative quantification of the strength of vocal fold adduction and how this might contribute to vocal acoustics across different vocal tasks. We assessed UES pressure relative to vocal acoustics in 32 vocally healthy adults during sustained vowels, whispered sentences, and spoken sentences. Smoothed cepstral peak prominence (CPPs) and low-to-high spectral energy ratio (LHR) were derived from the acoustic signal. After controlling for resting UES pressure, age, and sex, we observed significant negative correlations between UES pressure and CPPs and a significant positive correlation between UES pressure and LHR. UES pressures were significantly higher during spoken sentences than whispered sentences and sustained vowels. Measuring UES pressure relative to vocal acoustics is a novel methodology for studying upper aerodigestive tract physiology during phonation and has the potential to enhance understanding of voice disruption in clinical populations. Clinical implications and considerations for implementation are discussed.NEW & NOTEWORTHY We identified relationships between upper esophageal sphincter (UES) pressures and vocal acoustics during phonation in vocally healthy individuals, potentially reflecting the influence of strength of vocal fold adduction and other phonatory factors on vocal acoustics. This methodology could lead to the development of a clinical and research tool that could provide insight into the strength of vocal fold adduction, a critical factor influencing voice quality that has historically been difficult to assess.

Acoustic features of vocalizations in typically developing and autistic infants in the first year

We describe acoustic patterns across the five most prominent vocal types in typically developing infants (TD) and compare them with patterns in infants who develop autism (ASD) or a developmental disability (DD) not related to autism. Infant-directed speech (IDS) is a potentially important influence on such vocal acoustic patterns. Both acoustic patterns and effects of IDS are important for understanding the earliest origins of communication disorders. To compare duration, pitch and loudness of infant vocalizations for three groups of infants (TD, ASD, DD) in circumstances with high or low amounts of IDS. Two five-minute segments from each of 1259 all-day recordings across the first year were coded and acoustically analyzed for three groups of infants (130 TD, 44 ASD, 21 DD). Duration, mean fundamental frequency, and root mean square amplitude were determined for >162,000 infant utterances. Cries were longest and loudest, and vowel-like sounds were shortest of the five vocal types in all groups. TD infants showed significant alterations in vocal acoustics during periods of high IDS. Strong similarities in acoustic patterns occurred across the three groups, but only the TD group showed significant acoustic effects of IDS.

Multiple processes of vocal sensory-motor interaction in primate auditory cortex

Sensory-motor interactions in the auditory system play an important role in vocal self-monitoring and control. These result from top-down corollary discharges, relaying predictions about vocal timing and acoustics. Recent evidence suggests such signals may be two distinct processes, one suppressing neural activity during vocalization and another enhancing sensitivity to sensory feedback, rather than a single mechanism. Single-neuron recordings have been unable to disambiguate due to overlap of motor signals with sensory inputs. Here, we sought to disentangle these processes in marmoset auditory cortex during production of multi-phrased ‘twitter’ vocalizations. Temporal responses revealed two timescales of vocal suppression: temporally-precise phasic suppression during phrases and sustained tonic suppression. Both components were present within individual neurons, however, phasic suppression presented broadly regardless of frequency tuning (gating), while tonic was selective for vocal frequencies and feedback (prediction). This suggests that auditory cortex is modulated by concurrent corollary discharges during vocalization, with different computational mechanisms.

Linking Digital Traits from Facial Expression, Voice, and Head Motion to Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale Subscales

IntroductionThe 10-item Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) measures different dimensions of depression symptomatology. Digital traits may generate deeper understanding of the MADRS subscales and provide insights about depression symptomatology.ObjectivesTo identify digital traits that predict specific MADRS subscales and ascertain which digital traits are important for which MADRS subscales.Methods During a Phase II decentralised clinical trial in major depressive disorder (MDD), patients completed the MADRS and used AiCure (LLC, New York, NY, USA), a smartphone application, to complete image description tasks at baseline. Digital measurements identified from the literature as relevant to MDD symptomatology were conducted using audio and video data derived from the image description tasks. Digital measurements included speech (rate, sentiment and first-person singular pronouns), vocal acoustics (intensity, pause fraction and fundamental frequency), facial expressivity (regional facial movement) and head pose (Euclidean and angular head movement). Digital traits analysis involved data pre-processing followed by machine learning (ML) using Elastic Net, Decision Tree, and Random Forest models; model performance was evaluated using 5-fold cross-validation and mean absolute error (MAE). Important digital traits were calculated by percentage change in MAE after permuting a specific variable. Important digital traits for the MADRS Apparent Sadness subscale score were mapped to defined, interpretable domains.ResultsThe ML model predictions varied for different MADRS subscales (Table). Overall, Elastic Net and Random Forest models outperformed Decision Tree across all subscales scores other than suicidal thoughts. Half of the literature-based digital traits contributed to the prediction of ≥1 MADRS sadness sub-scale score. The important digital traits for the Apparent Sadness subscale score could be mapped to 4 domains (Figure); this aligned with findings from the literature.Image:Image 2:ConclusionsDigital traits collected from patients with MDD were able to predict certain MADRS subscales better than others.FundingBoehringer Ingelheim.Disclosure of InterestZ. Zhu Employee of: Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Y. Wu Employee of: Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., J. Seidel Employee of: Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, D. Roy Employee of: Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., E. Salzmann Employee of: Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH

Effect of Ligament Fibers on Dynamics of Synthetic, Self-Oscillating Vocal Folds in a Biomimetic Larynx Model.

Synthetic silicone larynx models are essential for understanding the biomechanics of physiological and pathological vocal fold vibrations. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of artificial ligament fibers on vocal fold vibrations in a synthetic larynx model, which is capable of replicating physiological laryngeal functions such as elongation, abduction, and adduction. A multi-layer silicone model with different mechanical properties for the musculus vocalis and the lamina propria consisting of ligament and mucosa was used. Ligament fibers of various diameters and break resistances were cast into the vocal folds and tested at different tension levels. An electromechanical setup was developed to mimic laryngeal physiology. The measurements included high-speed video recordings of vocal fold vibrations, subglottal pressure and acoustic. For the evaluation of the vibration characteristics, all measured values were evaluated and compared with parameters from ex and in vivo studies. The fundamental frequency of the synthetic larynx model was found to be approximately 200-520 Hz depending on integrated fiber types and tension levels. This range of the fundamental frequency corresponds to the reproduction of a female normal and singing voice range. The investigated voice parameters from vocal fold vibration, acoustics, and subglottal pressure were within normal value ranges from ex and in vivo studies. The integration of ligament fibers leads to an increase in the fundamental frequency with increasing airflow, while the tensioning of the ligament fibers remains constant. In addition, a tension increase in the fibers also generates a rise in the fundamental frequency delivering the physiological expectation of the dynamic behavior of vocal folds.

Effects of parents' voice on reducing heel puncture pain in high-risk newborns: A randomized controlled trial.

High-risk newborns, such as premature or severely ill infants, often experience painful treatments and separation from their parents. While previous studies have focused on the positive impacts of a mother's voice on newborns' physiology and pain response, research on the father's voice and vocal acoustics in high-risk newborns is limited. To examine whether parents' voices reduce heel puncture pain in high-risk newborns and the relationship between parents' vocal acoustics, physiological parameters and pain response. A randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted with 105 high-risk newborn-parent dyads. Participants were randomly assigned to three groups: recorded mother's voice, recorded father's voice or control group without any recorded voice. Outcome measures included heart rate, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation and pain response assessed using the Neonatal Infant Pain Scale. Data analysis utilized generalized estimation equations, and parents' vocal acoustics were analysed using Praat voice credit software. The mother's voice group exhibited significantly lower heart rates at 1, 5 and 10 min after the procedure, along with lower respiratory rates and pain levels at 5 and 10 min after the procedure compared with the control group. Similarly, the father's voice group demonstrated significantly lower heart rates at 1 and 5 min after the procedure, decreased respiratory rates at 5 and 10 min after the procedure and reduced pain levels at 1 and 5 to 10 min after the procedure compared with the control group. Higher minimum and mean pitches in parents' voices correlated with slower heart rates, while slower parental speech was associated with reduced newborn pain. Both maternal and paternal vocal interventions alleviated pain during heel puncture procedures among high-risk newborns. The noninvasive intervention serves as a reference for parental participation in care. Nurses can help parents to intervene with the acoustic characteristics that alleviate pain among high-risk newborns.

Predicting 3D soft tissue dynamics from 2D imaging using physics informed neural networks

Tissue dynamics play critical roles in many physiological functions and provide important metrics for clinical diagnosis. Capturing real-time high-resolution 3D images of tissue dynamics, however, remains a challenge. This study presents a hybrid physics-informed neural network algorithm that infers 3D flow-induced tissue dynamics and other physical quantities from sparse 2D images. The algorithm combines a recurrent neural network model of soft tissue with a differentiable fluid solver, leveraging prior knowledge in solid mechanics to project the governing equation on a discrete eigen space. The algorithm uses a Long-short-term memory-based recurrent encoder-decoder connected with a fully connected neural network to capture the temporal dependence of flow-structure-interaction. The effectiveness and merit of the proposed algorithm is demonstrated on synthetic data from a canine vocal fold model and experimental data from excised pigeon syringes. The results showed that the algorithm accurately reconstructs 3D vocal dynamics, aerodynamics, and acoustics from sparse 2D vibration profiles.

Vocal Vibrato Characteristics in Historical and Contemporary Opera, Operetta, and Schlager

Vibrato is a core aesthetic element in singing. It varies considerably by both genre and era. Though studied extensively in Western classical singing over the years, there is a dearth of studies on vibrato in contemporary commercial music. In addressing this research gap, the objective of this study was to find and investigate common crossover song material from the opera, operetta, and Schlager singing styles from the historical early 20th to the contemporary 21st century epochs. A total of 51 commercial recordings of two songs, "Es muss was Wunderbares sein" by Ralph Benatzky, and "Die ganze Welt ist himmelblau" by Robert Stolz, from "The White Horse Inn" ("Im weißen Rößl") were collected from opera, operetta, and Schlager singers. Each sample was annotated using Praat and analyzed in a custom Matlab- and Python-based algorithmic approach of singing voice separation and sine wave fitting novel to vibrato research. With respect to vibrato rate and extent, the three most notable findings were that (1) fo and vibrato were inherently connected; (2) Schlager, as a historical aesthetic category, has unique vibrato characteristics, with higher overall rate and lower overall extent; and (3) fo and vibrato extent varied over time based on the historical or contemporary recording year for each genre. Though these results should be interpreted with caution due to the limited sample size, conducting such acoustical analysis is relevant for voice pedagogy. This study sheds light on the complexity of vocal vibrato production physiology and acoustics while providing insight into various aesthetic choices when performing music of different genres and stylistic time periods. In the age of crossover singing training and commercially available recordings, this investigation reveals important distinctions regarding vocal vibrato across genres and eras that bear beneficial implications for singers and teachers of singing.

Auditory sensitivity and vocal acoustics in five species of estrildid songbirds

Comparative studies of acoustic communication in clades with diverse signal features provide a powerful framework for testing relationships between perception and behaviour. We measured auditory sensitivity in five species of estrildid songbirds with acoustically distinct songs and tested whether differences aligned with species differences in song frequency content. Species were chosen based on phylogeny and differences in song acoustics. Behavioural audiograms were obtained using operant training and testing. Adult audiograms were compared across species and between sexes within a species. Juvenile and adult audiograms were compared in one species. The audiograms of adults reared by their own species and those reared and tutored by another species were compared in one species. Results showed that audiograms were similar across species and similar to previous reports of songbird auditory sensitivity. Species differed in the highest frequency detected and the frequency of peak sensitivity. While hearing frequency range was not correlated with song frequency bandwidth, the frequency of peak sensitivity was highly corelated with the frequency of peak energy in song. Sensitivity did not differ based on sex, age or tutoring experience. Our findings suggest that adaptations in songbird auditory sensitivity are largely constrained by shared peripheral and central encoding mechanisms, with species-specific perception appearing only at peak sensitivity.

Vocal acoustic features may be objective biomarkers of negative symptoms in schizophrenia: A cross-sectional study

BackgroundThere are currently no objective biomarkers that allow the quantification of negative symptoms of schizophrenia. This study therefore explored the use of acoustic features in identifying the severity of negative symptoms in patients with schizophrenia. MethodsWe recruited 79 inpatients who were diagnosed with schizophrenia according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (the schizophrenia group) at the Huilongguan Hospital in Beijing, China, and 79 healthy controls from the surrounding community (the control group). We assessed the clinical symptoms of the patients with schizophrenia using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and the Brief Negative Symptom Scale (BNSS) and recorded the voice of each participant as they read emotionally positive, neutral, and negative texts. The Praat software was used to analyse and extract acoustic characteristics from the recordings, such as jitter, shimmer, and pitch. The acoustic differences between the two groups of participants and the relationship between acoustic characteristics and clinical symptoms in the patient group were analysed. ResultsThere were significant differences between the schizophrenia and control groups in pitch, voice breaks, jitter, shimmer, and the mean harmonics-to-noise ratio (p < 0.05). Jitter was negatively correlated with the blunted affect and alogia subscale scores of the BNSS, both in the positive and neutral emotion conditions, but the correlation disappeared in the negative emotion condition. However, shimmer exhibited a stable negative correlation with the blunted affect and alogia subscale scores of the BNSS in all three emotion conditions. A linear regression analysis showed that pitch, jitter, shimmer, and age were statistically significant predictors of BNSS subscale scores. ConclusionsAcoustic emotional expression differs between patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls. Some acoustic characteristics are related to the severity of negative symptoms, regardless of semantic emotions, and may therefore be objective biomarkers of negative symptoms. A systematic method for assessing vocal acoustic characteristics could provide an accurate and feasible means of assessing negative symptoms in schizophrenia. TweetAcoustic emotional expression differs between patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls. A systematic method for assessing vocal acoustics could provide an accurate and feasible means of assessing negative symptoms in schizophrenia.

Immediate Effects of Mindfulness Meditation on the Voice

The benefits of mindfulness meditation are well documented. This study evaluated the immediate effects of mindfulness meditation (MM) on the voice and voice user. Prospective experimental study. Participants: 19 vocally healthy (VH) individuals, and 26 individuals with common voice disorders (CVD; benign lesions and hyperfunctional muscle tension) deemed stimulable for voice therapy. Exclusionary criteria: prior training or regular meditation practice. Participants recorded speech samples before and after a 11.5-minute prerecorded session of MM. phonatory aerodynamics and participants' self-reported experience of voice. self-reported anxiety, vocal acoustics, speech breathing patterns, and auditory-perceptual outcomes. Baseline self-reported measures of voice (Voice Handicap Index-10 - VHI-10), breathing (Dyspnea Index - DI), stress (Perceived Stress Scale - PSS), and trait mindfulness (Cognitive and Mindfulness Scale - Revised, CAMS-R, Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire - FFMQ) were compared between groups. At baseline, CVD had significantly higher VHI-10 (P< 0.001) and DI (P= 0.0014), and lower trait mindfulness (CAMS-R, P= 0.02). No difference between groups for PSS or FFMQ. Changes postMM: decreased CPP for all-voiced sentences for VH (P= 0.003), decreased mean SPL (P= 0.012) on sustained vowel for VH, increased mean phonatory airflow during sustained vowel for CVD (P=0.012). VH demonstrated a decrease in CPP on the all-voice sentence, and CVD demonstrated an increase, resulting in a significant between group difference (P= 0.013). Participants reported improvements in voice, emotional and physical states. State anxiety decreased for both groups (= < 0.001). No other objective outcomes reached significance. After a brief MM, participants experienced improvement in physical, emotional, and cognitive states, and in their perceptions of their voice. Results indicate that a brief, single session of MM may be beneficial for some, but not sufficient to override habitual voice and speech patterns. Given the benefits of MM, future work should evaluate MM in a standard voice therapy protocol.

80.3 The Behavioral Health Avatar for Automatic Nonverbal Behavioral Analysis for Personalizing Treatment of Bipolar Disorder

Improving diagnostic accuracy of bipolar spectrum disorder (BSD) is clearly indicated to better inform treatment decisions. This proof-of-concept study aims to advance and improve treatment options for youth with BSD. This innovative proposal introduces the Behavioral Health AVATAR (BHA), which is an embodied conversational agent (ECA) that conducts natural and noncontact diagnostic interviews. During the interview, the BHA measures pupil dilation, eye fixation location, facial expression, body rigidity, vocal acoustics, and linguistic content.

Vocal expression of emotional arousal across two call types in young rhesus macaques

As Darwin first recognized, the study of emotional communication has the potential to improve scientific understanding of the mechanisms of signal production as well as how signals evolve. We examined the relationships between emotional arousal and selected acoustic characteristics of coo and scream vocalizations produced by female rhesus macaques, Macaca mulatta, during development. For coos, arousal was assessed through measures of stress-induced elevations of plasma cortisol exhibited in response to the human intruder test. In the analysis of screams, arousal was evaluated from the intensity of aggression experienced by the vocalizer during natural social interactions. Both call types showed a positive relationship between arousal and overall fundamental frequency (F0, perceived as pitch in humans). In coos, this association was dampened over development from infancy (6 months) to the juvenile, prepubertal period (16 months) and further to menarche (21.3-31.3 months), perhaps reflecting developmental changes in physiology, anatomy and/or call function. Heightened arousal was also associated in coos with increases in an acoustic dimension related to F0 modulation and noisiness. As monkeys matured, coos showed decreases in overall F0 as well as increased noisiness and F0 modulation, likely reflecting growth of the vocal apparatus and changes in vocal fold oscillation. Within screams, only one acoustic dimension (related to F0 modulation) showed developmental change, and only within one subclass of screams within one behavioural context. Our results regarding the acoustic correlates of arousal in both call types are broadly consistent with findings in other species, supporting the hypothesis of evolutionary continuity in emotion expression. We discuss implications for broader theories of how vocal acoustics respond to selection pressures.

Gesture-vocal coupling in Karnatak music performance: A neuro-bodily distributed aesthetic entanglement.

In many musical styles, vocalists manually gesture while they sing. Coupling between gesture kinematics and vocalization has been examined in speech contexts, but it is an open question how these couple in music making. We examine this in a corpus of South Indian, Karnatak vocal music that includes motion-capture data. Through peak magnitude analysis (linear mixed regression) and continuous time-series analyses (generalized additive modeling), we assessed whether vocal trajectories around peaks in vertical velocity, speed, or acceleration were coupling with changes in vocal acoustics (namely, F0 and amplitude). Kinematic coupling was stronger for F0 change versus amplitude, pointing to F0's musical significance. Acceleration was the most predictive for F0 change and had the most reliable magnitude coupling, showing a one-third power relation. That acceleration, rather than other kinematics, is maximally predictive for vocalization is interesting because acceleration entails force transfers onto the body. As a theoretical contribution, we argue that gesturing in musical contexts should be understood in relation to the physical connections between gesturing and vocal production that are brought into harmony with the vocalists' (enculturated) performance goals. Gesture-vocal coupling should, therefore, be viewed as a neuro-bodily distributed aesthetic entanglement.

Effects of Cortical Stimulation on Feedback-Dependent Vocal Control in Non-Human Primates.

Hearing plays an important role in our ability to control voice, and perturbations in auditory feedback result in compensatory changes in vocal production. The auditory cortex (AC) has been proposed as an important mediator of this behavior, but causal evidence is lacking. We tested this in an animal model, hypothesizing that AC is necessary for vocal self-monitoring and feedback-dependent control, and that altering activity in AC during vocalization will interfere with vocal control. We implanted two marmoset monkeys (Callithrix jacchus) with bilateral AC electrode arrays. Acoustic signals were recorded from vocalizing marmosets while altering vocal feedback or electrically stimulating AC during random subsets of vocalizations. Feedback was altered by real-time frequency shifts and presented through headphones and electrical stimulation delivered to individual electrodes. We analyzed recordings to measure changes in vocal acoustics during shifted feedback and stimulation, and to determine their interaction. Results were correlated with the location and frequency tuning of stimulation sites. Consistent with previous results, we found electrical stimulation alone evoked changes in vocal production. Results were stronger in the right hemisphere, but decreased with lower currents or repeated stimulation. Simultaneous stimulation and shifted feedback significantly altered vocal control for a subset of sites, decreasing feedback compensation at some and increasing it at others. Inhibited compensation was more likely at sites closer to vocal frequencies. Results provide causal evidence that the AC is involved in feedback-dependent vocal control, and that it is sufficient and may also be necessary to drive changes in vocal production. N/A Laryngoscope, 133:1-10, 2023.

Computer-Implemented Articulatory Models for Speech Production: A Review.

Modeling speech production and speech articulation is still an evolving research topic. Some current core questions are: What is the underlying (neural) organization for controlling speech articulation? How to model speech articulators like lips and tongue and their movements in an efficient but also biologically realistic way? How to develop high-quality articulatory-acoustic models leading to high-quality articulatory speech synthesis? Thus, on the one hand computer-modeling will help us to unfold underlying biological as well as acoustic-articulatory concepts of speech production and on the other hand further modeling efforts will help us to reach the goal of high-quality articulatory-acoustic speech synthesis based on more detailed knowledge on vocal tract acoustics and speech articulation. Currently, articulatory models are not able to reach the quality level of corpus-based speech synthesis. Moreover, biomechanical and neuromuscular based approaches are complex and still not usable for sentence-level speech synthesis. This paper lists many computer-implemented articulatory models and provides criteria for dividing articulatory models in different categories. A recent major research question, i.e., how to control articulatory models in a neurobiologically adequate manner is discussed in detail. It can be concluded that there is a strong need to further developing articulatory-acoustic models in order to test quantitative neurobiologically based control concepts for speech articulation as well as to uncover the remaining details in human articulatory and acoustic signal generation. Furthermore, these efforts may help us to approach the goal of establishing high-quality articulatory-acoustic as well as neurobiologically grounded speech synthesis.

Facial and Vocal Markers of Schizophrenia Measured Using Remote Smartphone Assessments: Observational Study.

BackgroundMachine learning–based facial and vocal measurements have demonstrated relationships with schizophrenia diagnosis and severity. Demonstrating utility and validity of remote and automated assessments conducted outside of controlled experimental or clinical settings can facilitate scaling such measurement tools to aid in risk assessment and tracking of treatment response in populations that are difficult to engage.ObjectiveThis study aimed to determine the accuracy of machine learning–based facial and vocal measurements acquired through automated assessments conducted remotely through smartphones.MethodsMeasurements of facial and vocal characteristics including facial expressivity, vocal acoustics, and speech prevalence were assessed in 20 patients with schizophrenia over the course of 2 weeks in response to two classes of prompts previously utilized in experimental laboratory assessments: evoked prompts, where subjects are guided to produce specific facial expressions and speech; and spontaneous prompts, where subjects are presented stimuli in the form of emotionally evocative imagery and asked to freely respond. Facial and vocal measurements were assessed in relation to schizophrenia symptom severity using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale.ResultsVocal markers including speech prevalence, vocal jitter, fundamental frequency, and vocal intensity demonstrated specificity as markers of negative symptom severity, while measurement of facial expressivity demonstrated itself as a robust marker of overall schizophrenia symptom severity.ConclusionsEstablished facial and vocal measurements, collected remotely in schizophrenia patients via smartphones in response to automated task prompts, demonstrated accuracy as markers of schizophrenia symptom severity. Clinical implications are discussed.

Efficacy of the Accent Method of Voice Therapy in Professional Voice Users with Minimal Associated Pathological Lesions of the Vocal Folds.

Minimal associated pathological lesions (MAPLs) of the vocal folds are a group of benign disorders commonly related to phonotraumatic conditions and behaviors. Voice therapy (VT) can play a major role in readjusting these maladaptive behaviors and improve overall voice quality, thereby replace surgical intervention in some cases or act as a complementary treatment to enhance the ultimate therapeutic outcomes. This study aims to explore the short-term effect of the Accent method of VT on vocal subjective measures and acoustics in professional users with MAPLs, evaluate the responsiveness of each vocal fold lesion to the VT, and propose a simple model for providing VT to a sector of the population in great need of non-invasive management. This analytical cross-sectional included fifty professional voice users with different MAPLs were exposed to multidimensional voice assessments before and after receiving VT training in a tertiary care hospital. These assessments include GRBAS score, Multidimensional Voice Program (MDVP) and validated Arabic version Voice Handicap Index (VHI-30). This study showed variable positive effects of VT on the different types of MAPLs. Cysts had the highest level of responsiveness to VT in comparison to other lesions, followed by nodules, polyps, contact granuloma, and Reinke's edema. VT is a substantial solution for managing voice disorders. It should be considered in the management plan of the various types of MAPLs, even in Reinke's edema, which showed the minimum improvement.

Mothers adapt their voice during children\u2019s adolescent development

Mothers alter their speech in a stereotypical manner when addressing infants using high pitch, a wide pitch range, and distinct timbral features. Mothers reduce their vocal pitch after early childhood; however, it is not known whether mother’s voice changes through adolescence as children become increasingly independent from their parents. Here we investigate the vocal acoustics of 50 mothers of older children (ages 7–16) to determine: (1) whether pitch changes associated with child-directed speech decrease with age; (2) whether other acoustical features associated with child-directed speech change with age; and, (3) the relative contribution of acoustical features in predicting child’s age. Results reveal that mothers of older children used lower pitched voices than mothers of younger children, and mother’s voice pitch height predicted their child’s age. Crucially, these effects were present after controlling for mother’s age, accounting for aging-related pitch reductions. Brightness, a timbral feature correlated with pitch height, also showed an inverse relation with child’s age but did not improve prediction of child’s age beyond that accounted for by pitch height. Other acoustic features did not predict child age. Findings suggest that mother’s voice adapts to match their child’s developmental progression into adolescence and this adaptation is independent of mother’s age.

Chimpanzee vowel-like sounds and voice quality suggest formant space expansion through the hominoid lineage.

The origins of human speech are obscure; it is still unclear what aspects are unique to our species or shared with our evolutionary cousins, in part due to a lack of a common framework for comparison. We asked what chimpanzee and human vocal production acoustics have in common. We examined visible supra-laryngeal articulators of four major chimpanzee vocalizations (hoos, grunts, barks, screams) and their associated acoustic structures, using techniques from human phonetic and animal communication analysis. Data were collected from wild adult chimpanzees, Taï National Park, Ivory Coast. Both discriminant and principal component classification procedures revealed classification of call types. Discriminating acoustic features include voice quality and formant structure, mirroring phonetic features in human speech. Chimpanzee lip and jaw articulation variables also offered similar discrimination of call types. Formant maps distinguished call types with different vowel-like sounds. Comparing our results with published primate data, humans show less F1–F2 correlation and further expansion of the vowel space, particularly for [i] sounds. Unlike recent studies suggesting monkeys achieve human vowel space, we conclude from our results that supra-laryngeal articulatory capacities show moderate evolutionary change, with vowel space expansion continuing through hominoid evolution. Studies on more primate species will be required to substantiate this.This article is part of the theme issue ‘Voice modulation: from origin and mechanism to social impact (Part II)’.