Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Voice”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2003

Effect of voice onset time (VOT), stop burst and vowel on the perception of voicing in Hebrew stops: preliminary results.

Very few studies investigated systematically the acoustic cues for the perception of voicing stops in Hebrew. Voicing is characterized by several parameters of which the voice onset time (VOT) was found to be the primary cue for its perception. There are, however, other known acoustic cues to voicing such as transition to the first formant (F1) and the initial burst. The purpose of the present study was to measure the relative weighting of these various acoustic cues in the perception of Hebrew voicing, using the conflicting cues paradigm. Thirteen adults with normal hearing participated in this study. Stimuli consisted of one pair of meaningful words that differ in the voicing of the initial stop. Four different continua were constructed from the pair of natural stimuli. The first two consisted of the voiced burst combined with the vowel that was truncated from the consonant-vowel combination (where the consonant was voiced or voiceless). The remaining two continua consisted of the voiceless burst combined with the same truncated vowels. For each stimulus, a VOT continuum was created varying from -40 to +40 ms in 10 ms segments. Subjects were tested using a two alternative forced choice labeling procedure. The percent of responses to each stimulus of each VOT continuum (/b-p/) was calculated for each individual and combination. The results show that each acoustic cue contributed to the perception of initial voicing in Hebrew: (1) When the stimulus was constructed from the voiced cues, positive VOT values were needed for the voice/voiceless distinction; (2) when the stimulus was constructed from the voiceless cues, negative VOT values were needed for the voicing distinction; and (3) when the stimulus was constructed from voiced and voiceless cues, intermediate VOT values were needed for the voicing distinction. These results provide initial information regarding the relative effect of the acoustic cues in the perception of Hebrew stop voicing.

Acoustic Stimulation↗
PubMed2006

Voice care knowledge among clinicians and people with healthy voices or dysphonia.

An important clinical component in the prevention and treatment of voice disorders is voice care and hygiene. Research in voice care knowledge has mainly focussed on specific groups of professional voice users with limited reporting on the tool and evidence base used. In this study, a questionnaire to measure voice care knowledge was developed based on "best evidence." The questionnaire was validated by measuring specialist voice clinicians' agreement. Preliminary data are then presented using the voice care knowledge questionnaire with 17 subjects with nonorganic dysphonia and 17 with healthy voices. There was high (89%) agreement among the clinicians. There was a highly significant difference between the dysphonic and the healthy group scores (P = 0.00005). Furthermore, the dysphonic subjects (63% agreement) presented with less voice care knowledge than the subjects with healthy voices (72% agreement). The questionnaire provides a useful and valid tool to investigate voice care knowledge. The findings have implications for clinical intervention, voice therapy, and health prevention.

Attitude to Health↗
PubMed2001

Human brain potential correlates of voice priming and voice recognition.

This study investigated repetition priming in the recognition of famous voices, recording reaction times (RTs) and event-related brain potentials (ERPs). In Experiment 1, a facilitation was found in RTs to famous but not to unfamiliar voices when these had been primed by a different voice sample of the same speaker earlier in the experiment. However, ERPs to both famous and unfamiliar voices showed repetition priming in terms of an increased P2 component, which is thought to be generated in the auditory cortex. When the likelihood of conscious retrieval of primes was reduced in Experiment 2, facilitatory priming in RTs was again observed for famous voices, but inhibitory priming was now observed for unfamiliar voices. This is consistent with predictions of a bias model of priming. Moreover, substantial priming was observed even when voice primes were backward speech samples, which were recognised at chance levels. The results suggests that (a) voice priming is mediated to a large extent by frequency characteristics of a particular voice, rather than by articulatory and other 'sequential' features that are eliminated in backward speech; (b) priming affects the processing of voices in auditory cortical areas within 200 ms after voice onset; and (c) explicit recognition of a voice in the priming phase is not a necessary condition for priming to occur.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Voice activity and participation profile: assessing the impact of voice disorders on daily activities.

Traditional clinical voice evaluation focuses primarily on the severity of voice impairment, with little emphasis on the impact of voice disorders on the individual's quality of life. This study reports the development of a 28-item assessment tool that evaluates the perception of voice problem, activity limitation, and participation restriction using the International Classification of Impairments, Disabilities and Handicaps-2 Beta-1 concept (World Health Organization, 1997). The questionnaire was administered to 40 subjects with dysphonia and 40 control subjects with normal voices. Results showed that the dysphonic group reported significantly more severe voice problems, limitation in daily voice activities, and restricted participation in these activities than the control group. The study also showed that the perception of a voice problem by the dysphonic subjects correlated positively with the perception of limitation in voice activities and restricted participation. However, the self-perceived voice problem had little correlation with the degree of voice-quality impairment measured acoustically and perceptually by speech pathologists. The data also showed that the aggregate scores of activity limitation and participation restriction were positively correlated, and the extent of activity limitation and participation restriction was similar in all except the job area. These findings highlight the importance of identifying and quantifying the impact of dysphonia on the individual's quality of life in the clinical management of voice disorders.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2002

Voice amplification versus vocal hygiene instruction for teachers with voice disorders: a treatment outcomes study.

Voice problems are common among schoolteachers. This prospective, randomized clinical trial used patient-based treatment outcomes measures combined with acoustic analysis to evaluate the effectiveness of two treatment programs. Forty-four voice-disordered teachers were randomly assigned to one of three groups: voice amplification using the ChatterVox portable amplifier (VA, n = 15), vocal hygiene (VH, n = 15), and a nontreatment control group (n = 14). Before and after a 6-week treatment phase, all teachers completed: (a) the Voice Handicap Index (VHI), an instrument designed to appraise the self-perceived psychosocial consequences of voice disorders; (b) a voice severity self-rating scale; and (c) an audiorecording for later acoustic analysis. Based on pre- and posttreatment comparisons, only the amplification group experienced significant reductions on mean VHI scores (p = .045), voice severity self-ratings (p = .012), and the acoustic measures of percent jitter (p = .031) and shimmer (p = .008). The nontreatment control group reported a significant increase in level of vocal handicap as assessed by the VHI (p = .012). Although most pre- to posttreatment changes were in the desired direction, no significant improvements were observed within the VH group on any of the dependent measures. Between-group comparisons involving the three possible pairings of the groups revealed a pattern of results to suggest that: (a) compared to the control group, both treatment groups (i.e., VA and VH) experienced significantly more improvement on specific outcomes measures and (b) there were no significant differences between the VA and VH groups to indicate superiority of one treatment over another. Results, however, from a posttreatment questionnaire regarding the perceived benefits of treatment revealed that, compared to the VH group, the VA group reported more clarity of their speaking and singing voice (p = .061), greater ease of voice production (p = .001), and greater compliance with the treatment program (p = .045). These findings clearly support the clinical utility of voice amplification as an alternative for the treatment of voice problems in teachers.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

The power and omnipotence of voices: subordination and entrapment by voices and significant others.

BACKGROUND: Cognitive therapy for psychotic symptoms often embraces self-evaluative beliefs (e.g. self-worth) but whether and how such beliefs are related to delusions remains uncertain. In previous research we demonstrated that distress arising from voices was linked to beliefs about voices and not voice content alone. In this study we examine whether the relationship with the voice is a paradigm of social relationships in general, using a new framework of social cognition, 'ranking' theory. METHOD: In a sample of 59 voice hearers, measures of power and social rank difference between voice and voice hearer are taken in addition to parallel measures of power and rank in wider social relationships. RESULTS: As predicted, subordination to voices was closely linked to subordination and marginalization in other social relationships. This was not the result of a mood-linked appraisal. Distress arising from voices was linked not to voice characteristics but social and interpersonal cognition. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that the power imbalance between the individual and his persecutor(s) may have origins in an appraisal by the individual of his social rank and sense of group identification and belonging. The results also raise the possibility that the appraisal of voice frequency and volume are the result of the appraisal of voices' rank and power. Theoretical and novel treatment implications are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

The effectiveness of a voice treatment approach for teachers with self-reported voice problems.

SUMMARY: Teachers are considered the professional group most at risk of developing voice-problems, but limited treatment effectiveness evidence exists. We studied prospectively the effectiveness of a 6-week combined treatment approach using vocal function exercises (VFEs) and vocal hygiene (VH) education with 20 teachers with self-reported voice problems. Twenty subjects were randomly assigned to a no-treatment control (n = 11) and a treatment group (n = 9). Fibreoptic endoscopic evaluation was carried out on all subjects before randomization. Two self-report voice outcome measures were used: the Voice-Related Quality of Life (VRQOL) and the Voice Symptom Severity Scale (VoiSS). A Voice Care Knowledge Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), developed specifically for the study, was also used to evaluate change in selected voice knowledge areas. A Student unpaired t test revealed a statistically significant (P < 0.05) improvement in the treatment group as measured by the VoiSS. There was not a significant improvement in the treatment group as measured by the V-RQOL. The difference in voice care knowledge areas was also significant for the treatment group (P < 0.05). This study suggests that a voice treatment approach of VFEs and VH education improved self-reported voice symptoms and voice care knowledge in a group of teachers.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Outcome of resonant voice therapy for female teachers with voice disorders: perceptual, physiological, acoustic, aerodynamic, and functional measurements.

Teachers have a high percentage of voice problems. For voice disordered teachers, resonant voice therapy is hypothesized to reduce voice problems. No research has been done on the physiological, acoustic, and aerodynamic effects of resonant voice therapy for school teachers. The purpose of this study is to investigate resonant voice therapy outcome from perceptual, physiological, acoustic, aerodynamic, and functional aspects for female teachers with voice disorders. A prospective study was designed for this research. The research subjects were 24 female teachers in Taipei. All subjects received resonant voice therapy in groups of 4 subjects, 90 minutes per session, and 1 session per week for 8 weeks. The outcome of resonant voice therapy was assessed from auditory perceptual judgment, videostroboscopic examination, acoustic measurements, aerodynamic measurements, and functional measurements before and after therapy. After therapy the severity of roughness, strain, monotone, resonance, hard attack, and glottal fry in auditory perceptual judgments, the severity of vocal fold pathology, mucosal wave, amplitude, and vocal fold closure in videostroboscopic examinations, phonation threshold pressure, and the score of physical scale in the Voice Handicap Index were significantly reduced. The speaking Fo, maximum range of speaking Fo, and maximum range of speaking intensity were significantly increased after therapy. No significant change was found in perturbation and breathiness measurements after therapy. Resonant voice therapy is effective for school teachers and is suggested as one of the therapy approaches in clinics for this population.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

[Voice rehabilitation following total laryngectomy: microvascular laryngeal replacement-plasty (laryngoplasty) instead of voice prosthesis].

Since the introduction of the so-called voice prostheses tracheoesophageal puncture is currently the most widely used surgical procedure for vocal rehabilitation after total laryngectomy. The voice prosthesis renders possible a reliably reproducible voice, which is superior (period of uninterrupted sound production, basal frequency, voice intensity) to the other techniques (esophageal speech, external vibrators, other surgical reconstructive measures), but has the following disadvantages: high initial phonation pressure, formation of granulation tissue around the voice shunt, blockage or leakage of the prosthesis or the voice shunt, displacement of the prosthesis, spontaneous occlusion when the prosthesis is accidentally removed, overtaxing the patients who have difficulties in replacing and cleaning the prosthesis. As an alternative new surgical technique a substitute larynx tube (laryngoplasty) was formed by a microvascular anastomotic forearm flap and connected to the trachea and pharynx in ten patients with extensive (T3-T4) laryngohypopharyngeal carcinoma. All ten patients developed a voice comparable with those of patients who have a voice prosthesis (frequency, voice intensity, period of uninterrupted sound production). An advantage of this graft over the voice prosthesis is that the phonation pressure required is low. While they were still in hospital eight patients learned to speak without using their hands by means of a tracheostomal valve. So far (six months postoperative) this surgical procedure has proved to be a practicable surgical alternative to a voice prosthesis.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Training outcome in future professional voice users after 18 months of voice training.

The goal of this study is to define the long-term influence of vocal hygiene education and the effectiveness of voice training in 46 students. Half of the subjects, called the trained group (n = 23), received vocal hygiene education during 1 school year and voice training during 2 school years (18 months). The other half, also 23 subjects, received neither vocal hygiene education nor voice training as such (called the untrained group). The voice training is made up of technical workshops (30 h a year in groups of 5-8 subjects) and vocal coaching in the radio and drama projects (30 h whole class). In the lectures (30 h) a theoretical background on breathing, articulation, voicing and vocal hygiene was discussed. A multidimensional test battery containing the GRBAS scale, videolaryngostroboscopy, maximum phonation time, jitter, lowest intensity, highest frequency, Dysphonia Severity Index (DSI) and Voice Handicap Index (VHI) was applied before and after 18 months to evaluate the effect of voice training over time. A questionnaire on daily habits was presented before the lectures, and after 18 months to detect the long-term effect of the lectures. The objectively measured voice quality (DSI) of the trained group improved significantly over time (p < 0.001) due to training (p = 0.008), which was not the case in the untrained group. The self-assessed VHI, on the other hand, changed over time (p < 0.001) in both groups. For the trained group the VHI changed from 18.4 to 14.4 and in the untrained group from 20.1 to 15.3. It is important to note that the VHI scores of both groups remained high. The interpretation of the results of the daily habit questionnaire is disturbing: the initial high degree of smoking, vocal abuse, stress and late meals was not influenced by the lectures or training and remained high. This study proves the positive outcome and emphasizes the need for a well-organized voice training program in future professional voice users. However, the lectures and training on vocal hygiene failed to improve voice-conserving habits.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Plasticity of voice quality: a prognostic factor for outcome of voice therapy?

Plasticity of voice quality is defined here as the degree of improvement in deviant voice quality that can be achieved immediately or quasi-immediately by changing basic voicing conditions, posture, articulation or resonance, breathing mechanics, laryngeal position, or auditory feedback. Thirty-two adult patients with various benign organic voice pathologies, and who had a (preoperative) functional voice therapy, were scored before therapy using a weighted multidimensional Index of Voice Plasticity (IVP). The hypothesis is that IVP could be a predictor of the final outcome of functional voice therapy, and therefore a correlation with a comparable quantification of the actual results of the therapy was investigated. The IVP shows a satisfactory correlation (Spearman's rho = 0.68) with the efficacy of (preoperative) voice therapy. The IVP also significantly differs between diagnostic categories. Although its predictive value remains limited, the Index of Voice Plasticity seems helpful in decision making for indication of (presurgical) voice therapy.

Humans↗
PubMed2006

Vocal responses to unanticipated perturbations in voice loudness feedback: an automatic mechanism for stabilizing voice amplitude.

The present study tested whether subjects respond to unanticipated short perturbations in voice loudness feedback with compensatory responses in voice amplitude. The role of stimulus magnitude (+/- 1,3 vs 6 dB SPL), stimulus direction (up vs down), and the ongoing voice amplitude level (normal vs soft) were compared across compensations. Subjects responded to perturbations in voice loudness feedback with a compensatory change in voice amplitude 76% of the time. Mean latency of amplitude compensation was 157 ms. Mean response magnitudes were smallest for 1-dB stimulus perturbations (0.75 dB) and greatest for 6-dB conditions (0.98 dB). However, expressed as gain, responses for 1-dB perturbations were largest and almost approached 1.0. Response magnitudes were larger for the soft voice amplitude condition compared to the normal voice amplitude condition. A mathematical model of the audio-vocal system captured the main features of the compensations. Previous research has demonstrated that subjects can respond to an unanticipated perturbation in voice pitch feedback with an automatic compensatory response in voice fundamental frequency. Data from the present study suggest that voice loudness feedback can be used in a similar manner to monitor and stabilize voice amplitude around a desired loudness level.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Quantitative evaluation of the voice range profile in patients with voice disorder.

In 1953, Calvet first displayed the fundamental frequency (pitch) and sound pressure level (intensity) of a voice on a two-dimensional plane and created a voice range profile. This profile has been used to evaluate clinically various vocal disorders, although such evaluations to date have been subjective without quantitative assessment. In the present study, a quantitative system was developed to evaluate the voice range profile utilizing a personal computer. The area of the voice range profile was defined as the voice volume. This volume was analyzed in 137 males and 175 females who were treated for various dysphonias at Kyushu University between 1984 and 1990. Ten normal subjects served as controls. The voice volume in cases with voice disorders significantly decreased irrespective of the disease and sex. Furthermore, cases having better improvement after treatment showed a tendency for the voice volume to increase. These findings illustrated the voice volume as a useful clinical test for evaluating voice control in cases with vocal disorders.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Voice dysfunction in dysarthria: application of the Multi-Dimensional Voice Program.

Phonatory dysfunction is a frequent component of dysarthria and often is a primary feature noted in clinical assessment. But the vocal impairment can be difficult to assess because (a). the analysis of voice disorder of any kind can be challenging, and (b). the voice disorder in dysarthria often occurs along with other impairments affecting articulation, resonance, and respiration. A promising assessment tool is multi-parameter acoustic analysis, such as the Multi-Dimensional Voice Program (MDVP). Part 1 of this paper recommends procedures and standards for the acoustic analysis of voice, including (1). selection of the sample to be analyzed, (2). signal quality requirements, (3). availability of normative data for both genders and different ages of speakers, (4). reliability of analysis, and (5). correlation of acoustic results with results from other methods of analysis. In Part 2, acoustic data are reviewed for the dysarthria associated with Parkinson disease (PD), cerebellar disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), traumatic brain injury (TBI), unilateral hemispheric stroke, and essential tremor. Tentative profiles of voice disorder are described for these conditions. These profiles may serve as hypotheses for future research. Although several issues remain to be resolved in the acoustic analysis of voice disorder in dysarthria, steps can be taken now to promote the reliability, validity, and clinical utility of such analyses. (1). As a result of this activity, the participant will be able to describe ways in which an optimal multi-dimensional analysis of voice can be performed with modern acoustic analysis systems. (2). As a result of this activity, the participant will be able to apply multi-dimensional acoustic analysis of voice to individuals who have a dysarthria-related voice disorder. (3). As a result of this activity, the participant will be able to identify major sources of normative data on the Multi-Dimensional Voice Program.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis↗
PubMed2005

First clinical experience with a new non-indwelling voice prosthesis (Provox NID) for voice rehabilitation after total laryngectomy.

CONCLUSION: The new Provox NID non-indwelling voice prosthesis investigated in this study provides a good option for laryngectomized patients using non-indwelling voice prostheses and can potentially improve safety and increase patients' satisfaction with their voice and speech. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the feasibility of and patient satisfaction with the Provox NID non-indwelling voice prosthesis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Pre- and post-study questionnaires were used to evaluate the patients' former voice prosthesis and the Provox NID voice prosthesis. In addition, measurements of pull-out force, maximum phonation time and loudness were made for both voice prostheses. In vitro measurements of airflow characteristics were also made. Following a 6-week trial, all patients provided feedback on the new voice prosthesis and the results were used to further improve the Provox NID. This final version of the new voice prosthesis was subsequently trialled and evaluated by 10 patients 6 months later. RESULTS: Overall results showed that patient satisfaction with the Provox NID non-indwelling voice prosthesis was favourable. The pull-out force for the new prosthesis was significantly higher than that for the formerly used prosthesis and its aerodynamic characteristics were better.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

Alternative voice after laryngectomy using a sound-producing voice prosthesis.

OBJECTIVE: To improve the voice quality of female laryngectomees and/or laryngectomees with a hypotonic pharyngoesophageal (PE) segment by means of a pneumatic artificial source of voice incorporated in a regular tracheoesophageal (TE) shunt valve. STUDY DESIGN: Experimental, randomized, crossover trial. METHODS: The new sound source consists of a single silicone lip, which performs an oscillatory movement driven by expired pulmonary air flowing along the outward-striking lip through the TE shunt valve. A prototype of this pneumatic sound source is evaluated in vitro and in six laryngectomees. In vivo evaluation includes speech rate, maximal phonation time, perceptual voice evaluation of read-aloud prose by an expert listener, speech intelligibility measurements with 12 listeners, and self-assessment by the patients. Moreover, extensive acoustical and aerodynamic in vivo registrations are performed using a newly developed data acquisition system. RESULTS: The current prototype seems beneficial in female laryngectomees with a hypotonic PE segment only. For them the sound-producing voice prosthesis improves voice quality and increases the average pitch of voice, without decreasing intelligibility or necessitating other pressure and airflow rates than regular TE shunt speech. Pitch regulation of this prosthetic voice is possible, yet limited. CONCLUSIONS: The mechanism is feasible and does not result in unacceptable airflow resistance. For this new mechanism of alaryngeal voice to become an established technique for postlaryngectomy voice restoration, a voice suitably pitched for male laryngectomees has to be generated and a large part of the melodic and dynamic range of the sound source has to be attainable within physiological airflow rates.

Aged↗
PubMed2005

Voice responses to changes in pitch of voice or tone auditory feedback.

The present study was undertaken to examine if a subject's voice F0 responded not only to perturbations in pitch of voice feedback but also to changes in pitch of a side tone presented congruent with voice feedback. Small magnitude brief duration perturbations in pitch of voice or tone auditory feedback were randomly introduced during sustained vowel phonations. Results demonstrated a higher rate and larger magnitude of voice F0 responses to changes in pitch of the voice compared with a triangular-shaped tone (experiment 1) or a pure tone (experiment 2). However, response latencies did not differ across voice or tone conditions. Data suggest that subjects responded to the change in F0 rather than harmonic frequencies of auditory feedback because voice F0 response prevalence, magnitude, or latency did not statistically differ across triangular-shaped tone or pure-tone feedback. Results indicate the audio-vocal system is sensitive to the change in pitch of a variety of sounds, which may represent a flexible system capable of adapting to changes in the subject's voice. However, lower prevalence and smaller responses to tone pitch-shifted signals suggest that the audio-vocal system may resist changes to the pitch of other environmental sounds when voice feedback is present.

Adult↗