Acoustic Characteristics Of Voice Research Articles

Voice analysis before and after vocal tiredness

A school teacher's occupation is one of the most vocal demanding professions. Vocal tiredness affects acoustic characteristics of voice, leads to the change in acoustic quality during vocal production. The aim of this study was to examine the influence of vocal tiredness on voice acoustic characteristics of school teachers. The study included 36 school teachers (16 male and 20 female) of 27-58 years of age. Vocal tiredness was evaluated by analyzing acoustic parameters of voice, using computerized laboratory "Kay Elemetrics". The voices were recorded before the first class on the beginning of a working week and after the last class at the end of a working week. Signal, noise and tremor parameters were processed. In their analysis the methods of descriptive statistics, as well as the analytical statistics (Student's t-test for paired samples, chi2 test, Mann Whitney U-test and Pearson's correlation coefficient) were applied. The obtained results showed statistically significant differences in average values of parameters as a consequence of the vocal tiredness (p < 0.01), while gender, age and being smoker or not, did not have a significant effect on voice acoustic characteristics in this group of examinees (p > 0.05). The results of the study suggest a casual relationship between vocal tiredness and voice quality in vocal professionals.

Effects of Soft Palate Implants on Acoustic Characteristics of Voice and Articulation

To evaluate the effects of soft palate implants on voice and articulation. Prospective case series. Male subjects (n=23) diagnosed with mild obstructive sleep apnea and/or habitual snoring underwent acoustic analysis with the Multidimensional Voice Program (Kay Multi-Speech Model 3700 Advanced Version; Kay Elemetrics [KayPentax], Lincoln Park, NJ) before and 8 weeks after insertion of palatal implants to determine the effects of soft palate implants on voice and articulation. Sustained vowels (/a/e/u/o/i/) and phonetically balanced carrier sentences were used for acoustic analyses. Parameters measured were fundamental frequency (F0), jitter, shimmer, noise-to-harmonics ratio, Voice Turbulence Index, Soft Phonation Index, degree of voiceless, degree of voice breaks and peak amplitude variation, first formant (F1) and second formant (F2) frequencies, and voice onset time (VOT). F1 and F2 for each vowel were determined using linear predictive analysis on a spectrogram. VOT was measured for the palatal consonant /k/ and the dental consonant /t/ on a wideband spectrogram from a carrier sentence segment that contained a syllable with a stop consonant. No statistically significant difference was detected in F0, F1, F2, or other MDVP parameters before and after implantation. Average VOT values measured for /t/ were not significantly different. On the other hand, average VOT values of /k/ were found to be significantly shorter. Implant insertion had no significant effect on MDVP parameters, F0, F1, or F2. On the other hand, articulation as a function of velar region seemed to be affected because VOT values of velar /k/ were changed.

Tempo máximo de fonação de crianças pré-escolares

Pesquisas sobre o tempo máximo de fonação (TMF) em crianças obtiveram diferentes resultados, constatando que tal medida pode refletir o controle neuromuscular e aerodinâmico da produção vocal, podendo ser utilizada como indicador para outras formas de avaliação, tanto qualitativas quanto objetivas. OBJETIVO: Verificar as medidas de TMF de 23 crianças pré-escolares, com idades entre quatro e seis anos e oito meses. MATERIAL E MÉTODO: O processo de amostragem contou com questionário enviado aos pais, triagem auditiva e avaliação perceptivo-auditiva vocal, por meio da escala RASAT. A coleta de dados constou dos TMF. DESENHO DO ESTUDO: Prospectivo de corte transversal. RESULTADOS: Os TMF /a/, /s/ e /z/ médios foram 7,42s, 6,35s e 7,19s; os TMF /a/ aos seis anos, foram significativamente maiores do que aos quatro anos; à medida que a idade aumentou, todos os TMF também aumentaram; e a relação s/z para todas as idades foi próxima de um. CONCLUSÕES: Os valores de TMF mostraram-se superiores aos verificados em pesquisas nacionais e inferiores aos verificados em pesquisa internacionais. Além disso, pode-se concluir que as faixas etárias analisadas no presente estudo encontram-se num período de maturação nervosa e muscular, sendo a imaturidade mais evidente na faixa etária dos quatro anos.

Maximum phonation time in pre-school children

SummaryPast studies on the maximum phonation time (MPT) in children have shown different results in duration. This factor may reflect the neuromuscular and aerodynamic control of phonation in patients; such control might be used as an indicator of other evaluation methods on a qualitative and quantitative basis.Aimto verify measures of MPT and voice acoustic characteristics in 23 children aged four to six year and eight months.MethodThe sampling process comprised a questionnaire that was sent to parents, followed by auditory screening and a voice perceptive-auditory assessment based on the R.A.S.A.T. scale. Data collection included the MPT.Studya prospective and cross-sectional study.ResultsThe MPT was 7.42s, 6.35s and 7.19s; as age increased, the MPT also increase significantly; the s/z relation at all ages was close to one.ConclusionsThe results mostly agree with the medical literature. MPT values, however, were higher than in other Brazilian studies. It may be concluded that the ages that were analyzed are going through neuromuscular maturation; lack of structural maturity and neuromuscular control was more evident in chidlren aged four years.

Aerodynamic and Acoustic Characteristics of Voice Before and After Adduction Arytenopexy and Medialization Laryngoplasty with GORE-TEX in Patients with Unilateral Vocal Fold Immobility

Multiple surgical techniques have been developed to restore function in patients with vocal fold paralysis (VFP), ranging from open laryngeal framework procedures to endoscopic injection techniques. In our experience, adduction arytenopexy (AA) and medialization laryngoplasty with GORE-TEX (MLG), with or without cricothyroid subluxation (CTS), together offer patients optimal improvement in voice, based on the subjective change in voice quality and patient feedback obtained. In this study, we analyze objective voice parameters in these patients before and after surgery. The objective of this retrospective chart review is to demonstrate the change in aerodynamic and acoustic properties of voice in patients with VFP who undergo combined AA and MLG, with or without CTS. Seventy-five patients underwent combined AA and MLG between May 2001 and September 2006; 28 completed both preoperative and postoperative voice evaluation including aerodynamic and acoustic testing. Retrospective chart review is used to compare pre- and postoperative voice parameters in these patients. Statistically significant increases in mean maximum phonation time (MPT) and mean intensity of "/pae/" during aerodynamic testing, with a statistically significant decrease in mean glottal airflow were observed. A notable increase in mean glottal resistance was not statistically significant. No significant change was observed in the other parameters tested. Mean MPT increased and mean glottal airflow decreased. These objective results correlate with patients' subjective improvement. However, while "objective," acoustic and aerodynamic testing are effort dependent, and thus may not be as reliable as other tools in measuring postsurgical voice outcomes. Patient surveys may be the best means of gauging surgical success.

A Comparative Study of Voice Acoustic Characteristics Using MDVP of Normal and Mentally Retarded Children: Focussing on Children Aged 5

A Comparative Study of Voice Acoustic Characteristics Using MDVP of Normal and Mentally Retarded Children: Focussing on Children Aged 5

Voice after supracricoid laryngectomy: Subjective, objective and self-assessment data

Supracricoid laryngectomy (SCL) is an efficient surgical procedure for the treatment of selected laryngeal carcinoma, presently being performed not only in Europe but also in North America. The functional goals of the technique are voice and swallowing without a permanent tracheostoma. Perceptual and acoustic voice characteristics after SCL have been reported by different authors, but self-assessment data together with subjective and objective data have only been reported for a small number of subjects.Twenty male subjects, with a mean age of 71 years (range: 51–82 years) who underwent a SCL at least one year before our observation, were included in the study. Each subject underwent a flexible laryngoscopy and his voice was perceptually rated using the GRBAS scale. Objective examination included: maximum phonation time (MPT), voice spectrograms and syllable diadochokinesis on a single breath. Finally, each subject assessed his own voice using the Voice Handicap Index (VHI).The mean values of the GRBAS scale were respectively 2.4, 2.6, 2.4, 0.8, 0.5, 0.8. Mean MPT was 7.5 s, while for voice spectrograms the mean value of the Yanagihara scale was 3.7. Mean syllable diadochokinesis appeared as 3.3 syllables/s. Mean value of the VHI was 29.9.Subjective and objective data show a severely dysphonic voice after SCL; self-assessment data, on the contrary, reveal only moderate functional and emotional consequences. While perceptual, aerodynamic and acoustic data are in line with previous reports, self-assessment data were less severe in our subjects compared to what appears in the literature. It is concluded that self-assessment explores a different dimension of the patient's voice and that even if a severe dysphonia is present the consequences on everyday oral communication are only moderate.

Impact of topical anesthesia on acoustic characteristics of voice during laryngeal telescopic examination

The purposes of this study are to investigate the impact of topical anesthetic alone and with concurrent laryngeal telescopic examination on acoustic characteristics of vocal fold function. Comparison with phonation in controlled conditions may imply diagnostic information from the examination. Thirty males evaluated as having a normal voice were included in the study. The subjects were asked to phonate sustained /i/ with a naturally comfortable pitch and loudness in three consecutive experimental sequences as "control condition," "anesthetic condition," and "telescopic condition." Acoustic analysis of fundamental frequency, jitter, shimmer, and harmonic to noise ratio in the three different conditions were executed. The mean and standard deviation of Fo in control condition, anesthetic condition, and telescopic condition were 130.1 +/- 18.5 Hz, 125.7 +/- 19.7 Hz, and 173.2 +/- 35.1 Hz, respectively. The telescopic condition showed more negative change than that in control condition and anesthetic condition in other parameters. There was a significant difference (P < 0.001) between control condition and telescopic condition in all four parameters. This study showed that anesthesia has little effect on voice performance for subjects with a normal voice. On the other hand, the acoustic characteristics changed significantly during telescopic performance. When doing interpretation of acoustic data, the abnormality of the acoustic characteristics might be the result of the procedures and not reflect vocal pathology. Laryngeal variations due to manipulation of telescope should be ruled out.

The effect of upper airway surgery on voice.

Our goal was to assess patient perception and acoustic characteristics of voice before and after upper airway surgery. We conducted a prospective assessment of 44 surgical patients preoperatively and postoperatively at a tertiary care, academic hospital. Operations included septoplasty and turbinectomy (n = 28) and septoplasty, turbinectomy, uvulopalatopharyngoplasty, and tonsillectomy (n = 16). Patient opinion measures included Voice Handicap Index score, perception of vocal resonance, and change in voice. Acoustic measures included assessment of the relative amplitude of selected formants (resonances) of the vocal tract. Mean Voice Handicap Index scores were unchanged after surgery. Nine patients (20%) perceived their voice to be improved after surgery. None perceived the voice to be worse. Postoperative changes in relative formant amplitudes were statistically significant. These changes caused the acoustic features to become more representative of normative data than the preoperative values. Upper airway oeprations can affect acoustics and perception of voice. Patients are unlikely to perceive a change in voice as a result of upper airway surgeries, but in those cases where a difference is perceived, it is likely to be a positive change.

Acoustical Aspects of Vocal Function Following Radiotherapy for Early T1a Laryngeal Cancer

We evaluated acoustic voice characteristics of 18 male patients undergoing radiotherapy. The subjects were seen for voice assessment preradiotherapy and at 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year following radiotherapy. A multidimensional voice analysis computer program (IVANS, Avaaz Innovations, 1998) was employed to evaluate measures of traditional frequency and amplitude perturbation as well as time-based and linear prediction (LP) modeledr “noise” parameters of the acoustic output in conjunction with perceptual judgments of overall vocal quality. The results indicate vocal deterioration of vocal function immediately following radiotherapy with gradual and significant improvement in acoustic and perceptual features over 9 to 12 months following the radiation treatment. Measures of glottal noise demonstrated higher sensitivity than frequency-based measures of voice perturbation, and with more consistent, less variable changes in acoustical voice output from the preradiation to the 12 month postradiation periods. Future research evaluating vowel type and acoustic perturbation measures with a larger sample of subjects over a longer time period seems warranted.

Aerodynamic and Acoustic Characteristics of Voice in Prader-Willi Syndrome

Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a multisystem disorder caused by DNA abnormalities involving chromosome 15. Major characteristics are infant hypotonia, hypogonadism, mental retardation, a short stature, atypical facial appearance, and the onset of obesity due to insatiable hunger in early childhood. Also, speech and language abnormalities have been reported including voice disorders. These have seldom been studied in detail, however. This paper reports the results of an acoustic and aerodynamic investigation of the voice in 22 individuals with PWS. Two age groups were distinguished, a group of children [chronological age (CA) 6 years, 7 months through 11 years, 7 months; total intelligence quotient (TIQ) 40–88] and a group of adolescents and adults (CA 17 years, 1 month through 29 years, 5 months; TIQ 41–94). Both aerodynamic and acoustic parameters were obtained and compared with normative data from the Belgian Study Group on Voice Disorders. It was found that voice difficulties do commonly occur in individuals with PWS including impairment of frequency levels, voice quality, and poor aerodynamic capabilities.

Voice characteristics in the progression of Parkinson's disease.

This study examined the acoustic and perceptual voice characteristics of patients with Parkinson's disease according to disease severity. The perceptual and acoustic voice characteristics of 30 patients with early stage PD and 30 patients with later stage PD were compared with data from 30 normal control subjects. Voice recordings consisted of prolongation of the vowel /a/, scale singing, and a 1-min monologue. In comparison with controls and previously published normative data, both early and later stage PD patients' voices were characterized perceptually by limited pitch and loudness variability, breathiness, harshness and reduced loudness. High modal pitch levels also characterized the voices of males in both early and later stages of PD. Acoustically, the voices of both groups of PD patients demonstrated lower mean intensity levels and reduced maximum phonational frequency ranges in comparison with normative data. Although less clear, the present data also suggested that the PD patients' voices were characterized by excess jitter, a high-speaking fundamental frequency for males and a reduced fundamental frequency variability for females. While several of these voice features did not appear to deteriorate with disease progression (i.e. harshness, high modal pitch and speaking fundamental frequency in males, fundamental frequency variability in females, low intensity and jitter), breathiness, monopitch and monoloudness, low loudness and reduced maximum phonational frequency range were all worse in the later stages of PD. Tremor was the sole voice feature which was associated only with later stage PD.

Acoustic characteristics of voice after severe traumatic brain injury.

To describe the acoustic characteristics of voice in individuals with motor speech disorders after traumatic brain injury (TBI). Prospective study of 100 individuals with TBI based on consecutive referrals for motor speech evaluations. Subjects were audio tape-recorded while producing sustained vowels and single word and sentence intelligibility tests. Laryngeal airway resistance was estimated, and voice quality was rated perceptually. None of the subjects evidenced vocal parameters within normal limits. The most frequently occurring abnormal parameter across subjects was amplitude perturbation, followed by voice turbulence index. Twenty-three percent of subjects evidenced deviation in all five parameters measured. The perceptual ratings of breathiness were significantly correlated with both the amplitude perturbation quotient and the noise-to-harmonics ratio. Vocal quality deviation is common in motor speech disorders after TBI and may impact intelligibility.

Comparison and Evolution of Perceptual and Acoustic Characteristics of Voice after Supracricoid Partial Laryngectomy with Cricohyoidoepiglottopexy

The present prospective study, based on a series of 12 male patients managed with supracricoid partial laryngectomy with cricohyoidoepiglottopexy (SCPL-CHEP), was designed i) to compare the perceptual and acoustic parameters before surgery and at 6 months after sugery, ii) to evaluate the evolution of the perceptual and acoustic parameters between 6 and 18 months postoperatively, and iii) to determine the correlations between the perceptual and acoustic parameters preoperatively and at 18 months postoperatively. The roughness was found to be significantly worsened after SCPL-CHEP. The jitter, shimmer, noise-to-harmonic ratio, and degree of voiceless increased significantly after SCPL-CHEP. Neither acoustic nor perceptual parameters varied significantly between 6 and 18 months postoperatively. Preoperatively, a strong statistical correlation was found between grade, roughness and strain and all acoustic parameters but F0. Breathiness was statistically correlated with all acoustic parameters but jitter. Postoperatively the only statistical correlation noted was between roughness and F0.

T1b声門癌CO&lt;SUB&gt;2&lt;/SUB&gt;レーザー手術

Phonatory functions were compared among 25 patients with T1 glottic cancer (T1a : 18, T1b : 7) following the combined therapy of laser and radiation, 9 patients with T1-2 following radiation treatment alone, and 40 normal subjects (over 50 years old). Maximum phonation time (sec), air flow rate (ml/sec), vocal velocity index, pitch (Hz), pitch perturbation quotient (%), amplitude perturbation quotient (%), and normalized noise energy (dB) were obtained from the use of a phonatory equipment PS-77 and an acoustic analyser SH-10.Moreover, phonatory dysfunctions in 6 of 7 patients with T1b glottic cancer were estimated on the basis of extent and depth of laser irradiation, and of post-operative laryngeal findings by fiberscope.The results were as follows.1. The mean values of phonatory parameters in normal subjects were MPT : 17.8 sec, AFR : 187 ml/sec, VVI : 45.5, pitch : 147 Hz, PPQ : 1.01%, APQ : 3.34%, and NNE : -11.1 dB respectively.In comparison with the normal subjects, those values of radiation treatment alone coinsided closely, and those of T1 group indicated distinctly a decline of the aerodynamic functions and a change for the worse of the acoustic characteristics of voices. However, the difference of those parameters were statistically no significant between Tla and Tlb group.2. After CO2 laser surgery for T1b, laryngoscopy revealed web formation of the anterior commissure (28%), asynmetry and fibrosis of all affected vocal cords. Degree of the post-operative changes had been affected by the extent more than the depth of laser irradiation in glottis.3. In T1b group, the mean values of phonatory parameters in the 3 patients with a marked postoperative change were a short MPT (6.2 sec), higher AFR (372 ml/sec) and VVI (104.3), and pitch : 225 Hz, PPQ : 1.79%, APQ : 4.00%, NNE : -5.6 dB, while, those in the 3 with a mild change were MPT : 18.0 sec, AFR : 155 ml/sec, VVI : 34.1, pitch : 146 Hz, PPQ : 0.25%, APQ : 2.56%, NNE : -14.2 dB, respectively.Because of having the lesion in both vocal cords, CO2 laser management for T1b glottic cancer has including more complex problems than that for T1a in the insure of favorable post-operative voices. At least, laser irradiation covered wide range of the bilateral vocal cords may be phonetically disadvantage. In the use of CO2 laser, it is a necessary to control adequately the extent of laser irradiation in a combination with radiation therapy of curative dose.

Selected Acoustic Characteristics of Voices Before Intubation and After Extubation

Effects of endotracheal intubation on acoustic characteristics of voices were investigated for 8 male and 8 female subjects using a miniature neck accelerometer and computerized analysis methods. Variables extracted from sustained vowels were (1) spectral slopes of the average waveforms, (2) harmonics-to-noise ratios (H/N), (3) coefficients of variation for amplitude (CVA), (4) coefficients of variation for fundamental frequency (CVF), (5) amplitude perturbation (shimmer), and (6) fundamental frequency perturbation (jitter). Fundamental frequency (Fo) distributional statistics (mean Fo, Fo standard deviation, and Fo mid-90% range) were also obtained from oral readings. Results for the sustained vowel samples showed that after extubation, (1) spectral slopes were less steep, and (2) both shimmer and jitter were greater than before intubation. Results for the passage reading revealed that the mean Fo was lower and the Fo standard deviation and mid-90% range were smaller after the extubation than before intubation. It was concluded that even short-term endotracheal intubation affects acoustic characteristics of voice and that selected measures of waveform characteristics are sensitive enough to reveal such effects.

Effects of physiological aging on selected acoustic characteristics of voice.

The relationship between age-related changes in body physiology and certain acoustic characteristics of voice was studied in a sample of 48 men representing three chronological age groupings (25-35, 45-55, and 65-75) and two levels of physical condition (good and poor). A fundamental frequency analysis program (SEARP) was used to measure mean fundamental frequency, jitter, shimmer, and phonation range from samples of connected speech and sustained vowel production. Subjects in good physical condition produced maximum duration vowel phonation with significantly less jitter and shimmer and had larger phonation ranges than did subjects of similar chronological ages who were in poor physical condition. These differences were most apparent in the productions of the elderly subjects. While chronological aging is undoubtedly a contributor to such changes in the acoustic characteristics of voice, these results suggest that age-related changes in body physiology, or physiological aging, also must be considered.

Effects of physiological aging on vowel spectral noise.

Vowel spectral noise was studied in the sustained phonations of 48 men representing two levels of physiological condition (good and poor) within each of three chronological age groups (25 to 35, 45 to 55, and 65 to 75 years). Results indicated physiological condition was significantly correlated with noise rankings, whereas chronological age and noise were not significantly correlated. These findings support the notion that physiological condition is a significant variable to consider in the analysis of acoustic characteristics of voice.