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PubMed2002

Underlying mechanism for categorical perception: tone-onset time and voice-onset time evidence of Hebrew voicing.

The nature of the mechanism responsible for the categorical labeling of stimuli is not clear. One hypothesis suggests that categorization is limited by the 'natural sensitivities' of the auditory system. The alternative hypothesis suggests that categorization is mediated by a special speech mode and is influenced by how speech is produced. The present study attempts to provide some insight into this dilemma by evaluating categorical perception (CP) in speech and non-speech stimuli and across languages. Specifically, the goals of the present study were (1) to compare phonetic boundaries of Hebrew voicing to categorical boundaries (CB) of a two-tone complex which varies in the relative timing of the two tones (TOT) [TOT stimuli are considered be the non-speech analog to voice-onset time (VOT)], and (2) to re-establish the CB values of non-speech analog to voicing in American-English speakers using the same TOT continua as the Hebrew speakers and to compare them to CB of Hebrew-speaking subjects. Our assumption was that if CP is mediated by basic auditory sensitivity then we expect similar CB for speech and non-speech stimuli and no effect of language on CB. If, however, a special speech code determines CP, then phonetic boundaries are expected to be different from CB of non-speech stimuli and across languages. Of particular interest is the special case of Hebrew whose voice-voiceless distinction in production is very different from that in English. Twelve Hebrew-speaking adults and 12 American-English speaking adults participated in this study. Stimuli consisted of (a) a two-tone complex continuum that varied in the relative onset time of the lower tone from a lead of -100 ms to a lag of +50 ms in 10 ms steps, and (b) a /ba-pa/ continuum which varied in VOT values similar to (a). Subjects identified TOT stimuli as belonging to one of three categories: leading, simultaneous, or lagging. VOT stimuli were labeled as /ba/ or /pa/. Results show (a) different phonetic boundary for Hebrew voicing compared to published data on English voicing, (b) different category boundaries for speech and non-speech stimuli in Hebrew, (c) a phonetic boundary for Hebrew voicing that does not align with the VOT values of production, and (d) very similar CB for TOT stimuli in Hebrew- and American-English-speaking subjects. The data support the influence of both general auditory abilities and unique speech processes on categorical perception of speech.

Acoustic Stimulation↗
PubMed1996

Voice and advertising: effects of intonation and intensity of voice on source credibility, attitudes toward the advertised service and the intent to buy.

Voice has been neglected in research on advertising and attitude change. In an experiment with 2 x 2 x 2 factorial design (N = 279), several hypotheses derived from the Elaboration Likelihood Model and from phonetic literature were tested; 2 linguistically similar advertising messages on financial services of high (student loan) versus low (Automatic Teller Machine cards) involvement are recorded by a professional actor using 4 types of voice (2 levels of intonation of voice x 2 levels of intensity). Analysis by a system of simultaneous equations indicated that the effects of voice are different under low and high involvement. Intensity of voice affects credibility of the source significantly more under low than high involvement; intonation of voice affects credibility more under high than low involvement. Unexpectedly, characteristics of voice affect attitudes toward the advertised service and intent to buy.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Therapeutic misconceptions: when the voices of caring and research are misconstrued as the voice of curing.

Research on doctor-patient communication has characterized such interactions as being asymmetrical. The present article tries to shift emphasis away from the different orientations individuals bring to the communicative setting and attempts to highlight the different orientations ("voices") within a given individual. We draw on an in-depth analysis of discourse between a 21-year-old man who can be ascribed the roles of both patient and potential research subject and an interviewer who acts in both the role of medical staff and researcher. Focusing our analysis on a limited number of linguistic forms (pronouns and demonstratives), it is argued that the use of the same form for different referents signals a conflation of two voices -- the voice of health care ("caring") and the voice of "research." Furthermore, we argue that the voice of research is most likely to be interpreted by the patient/research subject within the framework of curing. As such, the present article promotes a shift in emphasis from different institutional -- and as such often assumed to be preexisting -- orientations between the communicating parties to differing orientations within the individual that cannot help but be misconstrued in terms of the curing voice. Our conclusion focuses on the ethical and discourse analytic implications of analyzing voices in a discussion.

Cognition↗
PubMed2000

Voice handicap index change following treatment of voice disorders.

Outcome measurements of voice disorders is an important new area for both the evaluation of voice-disordered patients and evaluation of treatment efficacy. The Voice Handicap Index (VHI) measures the patient's perception of the impact of his or her voice-disorder. The VHI was used in this study to measure the changes of the patient's perception following treatment for four different voice disorders. The VHI showed a significant change following treatment for unilateral vocal fold paralysis, vocal cyst/polyp, and muscle tension dysphonia. Results of this paper indicate that the VHI is a useful instrument to monitor the treatment efficacy for voice disorders.

Disability Evaluation↗
PubMed1995

Voice profiles and standard voice profile of untrained children.

Voice profiles were taken of 277 healthy children between the ages of 5 and 14 years. The measured phonetograms were grouped according to sex and years of age. In each group, the means and standard deviations of maximal and minimal volume of each frequency were calculated. The median was used to establish the upper and lower limits of the voice range of each group. No age-dependent changes of the group voice profiles were shown in the groups of 7 to 10 year olds. Out of that emerged a standard childhood voice profile of the untrained voice. After age 10, an increase of the dynamic range over the lowest frequencies was found. Because of the voice changes in puberty, a profile for 13- and 14-year-old boys could not be established.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Efficacy of voice therapy assessed with the Voice Range Profile (Phonetogram).

INTRODUCTION: Voice Range Profile (VRP), or Phonetography, is a widely used method of acoustic voice assessment: it explores and documents the extreme possibilities or capabilities of the voice by producing a chart displaying the intensity dynamics as a function of the fundamental frequency range. OBJECTIVES: In the present study VRP is used for investigating the efficacy of (isolated) functional voice therapy, and for defining the best suited VRP criteria for this purpose. MATERIAL AND METHOD: 30 adult voice patients with complaints of chronic dysphonia (> 4 months) fitted the acceptance--and exclusion criteria, and received functional voice therapy for 2 sessions/week during 3-6 months therapy (2x/week). VRP was performed before and after therapy, and a follow-up VRP was conducted 3 months after completion of the therapy. RESULTS: The parameters "softest intensity" and "VRP--area" seem the most sensitive parameters: they show an average highly significant improvement after therapy, and still an average significant improvement between the end of treatment and the follow-up measurement. CONCLUSION: For daily practice, an index (3 points-index) combining Fo-range and softest intensity is proposed.

Acoustics↗
PubMed2004

Quick screen for voice and supplementary documents for identifying pediatric voice disorders.

Three documents are provided to help the speech-language pathologist (SLP) identify children with voice disorders and educate family members. The first is a quickly administered screening test that covers multiple aspects of voice, respiration, and resonance. It was tested on 3000 children in kindergarten and first and fifth grades, and on 47 preschoolers. The second document is a checklist of functional indicators of voice disorders that could be given to parents, teachers, or other caregivers to increase their attention to potential causes of voice problems and to provide the SLP with information pertinent to identification. The final document is a brochure with basic information about voice disorders and the need for medical examination. It may be used to help the SLP educate parents, particularly about the need for laryngeal examination for children who have been identified as having a voice problem.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

G. Paul Moore Lecture. Rational thought: the impact of voice science upon voice care.

Recent evolution in scientific knowledge and technology has led to monumental improvement in the standard of care for patients with voice disorders. New concepts in anatomy, physiology, measurement, and analysis have provided voice care professionals with not merely better understanding, but moreover an extensive vocabulary with which to think about voice function and dysfunction. Previously, we had to depend too much upon anecdote and "the art of medicine." Thanks to scientific advances, we now have the tools we need for rational thought about the human voice. This is the fundamental change responsible for recent great advances in voice care.

Humans↗
PubMed2005

Throaty voice quality: subglottal pressure, voice source, and formant characteristics.

"Throaty" voice quality has been regarded by voice pedagogues as undesired and even harmful. This study attempts to identify acoustic and physiological correlates of this quality. One male and one female subject read a text habitually and with a throaty voice quality. Oral pressure during p-occlusion was measured as an estimate of subglottal pressure. Long-term average spectrum analysis described the average spectrum characteristics. Sixteen syllables, perceptually evaluated with regard to throaty quality by five experts, were selected for analysis. Formant frequencies and voice source characteristics were measured by means of inverse filtering, and the vocal tract shape of the throaty and normal versions of the vowels [a,u,i,ae] of the male subject were recorded by magnetic resonance imaging. From this material, area functions were derived and their resonance frequencies were determined. The throaty versions of these four vowels all showed a pharynx that was narrower than in the habitually produced versions. To test the relevance of formant frequencies to perceived throaty quality, experts rated degree of throatiness in synthetic vowel samples, in which the measured formant frequency values of the subject were used. The main acoustic correlates of throatiness seemed to be an increase of F1, a decrease of F4, and in front vowels a decrease of F2, which presumably results from a narrowing of the pharynx. In the male subject, voice source parameters suggested a more hyperfunctional voice in throaty samples.

Female↗
PubMed2001

[Psychoacoustic scaling of acoustic voice parameters by multicenter voice ratings].

BACKGROUND: The purpose of the study was to analyze if perceptual voice quality ratings of the well-known RBH rating procedure (a 4-point scale of roughness, breathiness, and hoarseness) covary with acoustical voice parameters. METHODS: 120 voice samples from subjects with healthy and hoarse voices were rated on the RBH-index in a multicenter study with 31 raters. Multivariate regression tree analysis classified the perceptual ratings as "gold standard". Voice samples were acoustically analyzed with a feature extraction method. Feedforward-networks were trained to selected acoustical parameters having highest "relative importance" in the regression trees. Based on the best classifier, a computer program consisting of 50 simultaneous working networks was developed. RESULTS: Mean probabilities for correct classifications were found at 0.65-0.85, implying a significance level over chance (0.25). Classifications of the program matched in 40% with a priori values in the categories roughness combined with breathiness, and in 65% in at least one domain. CONCLUSIONS: The new method described here provides a psychoacoustically based "objective" classification of hoarse voices, which seems to enable future analysis of new parameters (like GNE), which may even improve the present results.

Acoustics↗
PubMed2006

[Multiparametric description of voice quality for normal male and female voices based on acoustic analyses].

BACKGROUND: An improved method to obtain voice quality parameters from the acoustic speech signal is presented and applied to the determination of voice profiles. METHODS: The method is based on voice parameters proposed by Stevens and Hanson (1994). Vowel productions of 300 adult speakers (150 male and 150 female speakers) without any known voice pathologies were considered. RESULTS: In a first step, gender differentiated mean normal voice profiles are presented. The significant differences between male and female speakers indicate the necessity for separate treatment of the two groups. In a second step, a clustering technique differentiates three numerically substantial subgroups for male and female speakers. Over and above that, the acoustic parameters with the best potential for subgroup differentiation are determined. Additionally, a continuum containing individual variation within normal phonation is shown. CONCLUSIONS: The relevance of the analysis method is supported by the possibility of a physiological interpretation of the voice data.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Multiparametric description of voice quality for normal male and female voices].

The present study examines the relevance of the voice parameters of two commercially available voice analysis programs (MDVP and EGG Program from Kay Elemetrics) for the acoustic and electroglottographic definition of normal voice profiles for men and women. Vowel productions of 300 adult speakers (150 male and 150 female speakers) without any known voice pathology were analyzed. In a first step, gender-differentiated mean normal voice profiles are presented for each of the two analysis programs. The significant differences between the male and female speakers indicate the necessity for the separate treatment of the two groups. In a second step, a clustering technique differentiates two numerically substantial subgroups within each gender on the basis of the MDVP parameters. The EGG parameters do not achieve the same degree of subgroup differentiation. In a factor analysis, the relative weighting of the MDVP parameters within the factors also indicates their better suitability for normal voice differentiation than the EGG parameters as they are defined at present.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Conversion from a non-indwelling to a Provox2 indwelling voice prosthesis for speech rehabilitation: comparison of voice quality and patient preference.

This prospective study assessed the advantages and problems associated with converting a patient using an older generation non-indwelling voice prosthesis to a newer generation indwelling voice prosthesis, in this case the Provox2. The voice characteristics of each patient were measured using the old and then the new voice prosthesis. Technical aspects of the insertion of the indwelling prosthesis were noted. Each patient completed a questionnaire after a period of use with the indwelling prosthesis. Changing the prosthesis was simple and uncomplicated in 15 of 17 patients. Acoustic analysis showed improved parameters with the indwelling prosthesis, but no perceptual difference between the two prostheses. The questionnaire revealed that most patients preferred the indwelling prosthesis. Replacing a non-indwelling with an indwelling prosthesis is technically simple, leading to improvement in voice quality and patient satisfaction. It may be reasonable to offer this choice to patients currently using an older generation non-indwelling voice prosthesis.

Aged↗
PubMed1991

[Comparative study of temporal parameters of alaryngeal voices. Esophageal and tracheo-esophageal voices].

Recent studies have established significant acoustic and phonetic differences between tracheo-oesophageal (TE) and conventional esophageal voices (EV). 12 alaryngeal voices (2 esophageal, 6 myomucosal shunts, 4 tracheoesophageal phonatory protheses), and 7 normal laryngeal voices were recorded and analyzed. Speech timing including voicing and pauses distribution was evaluated and compared to laryngeal voices. Speakers with TE voices using pulmonary air were able to preserve the rythm and the syntactico-semantic structure of their speeches, as opposed to speakers with EV who often had to insufflate air into the esophagus and therefore had a staccato-like speech. The phonation time was quite similar in both situations, but the length and the number of pauses made the difference.

Aged↗
PubMed1996

[Voice problems in some groups of professional users of voice: implications for prevention].

The primary prevention of communication problems is a growing part of the professional responsibility of the speech-language therapist. Functional voice hyperfunction, which often occurs in professional users of voice, can be prevented. In this article three separate studies on voice problems of people in three different professions are reported. The subjects included 183 educators, 50 ministers and 20 singers. The data were obtained using questionnaires. The results indicate that voice problems and symptoms of voice problems occur in all three groups, that these speakers have little knowledge of the subject, that they expose themselves to high risk factors, and that they do not conserve their voices. Guidelines for instruction in prevention are provided.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Methods to study pre-school teachers' voice at work: simultaneous recordings with a voice accumulator and a DAT recorder.

Long-term recordings with reliable methods are desirable for objective documentation of voice use during natural conditions. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a voice accumulator (VAC) with a digital audiotape (DAT) recorder as a reference. The VAC is based on a microprocessor that accumulates information about fundamental frequency (F0) and phonation time. A contact microphone attached to the front of the neck registers vocal fold vibrations. The DAT recorder was connected to two microphones for airborne signals placed at equal distance from the mouth close to the subject's ears. The computer program Aura was used to separate the subject's voice from the background noise. The Soundswell program was used for F0 and phonation time analysis. Two tests were performed: 1) One female speech-language pathologist was recorded with the two devices simultaneously in a sound-proof booth. She read a standard text with different voice qualities and sustained vowels with increasing F0 and intensity separately. The results showed good agreement between the two methods with respect to F0 and phonation time. However, the VAC failed to register high frequencies above around 440 Hz as well as low intensities. 2) Three female pre-school teachers were recorded with the two devices simultaneously during a working day. Results showed high correlations between the two methods in terms of long-term measurements of F0 and phonation time for two subjects For one subject with subcutaneous soft tissue on the neck, the registration with the contact microphone was not reliable. It was concluded that the VAC has potential for assessment of occupational voice disorders if certain limitations of the method are considered.

Equipment Design↗
PubMed2002

Swallowing and voice effects of Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT): a pilot study.

OBJECTIVE: To define the effects of Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT on swallowing and voice in eight patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease. METHODS: Each patient received a modified barium swallow (MBS) in addition to voice recording before and after 1 month of LSVT. Swallowing motility disorders were defined and temporal measures of the swallow were completed from the MBS. Voice evaluation included measures of vocal intensity, fundamental frequency, and the patient's perception of speech change. RESULTS: before LSVT, the most prevalent swallowing motility disorders were oral phase problems including reduced tongue control and strength. Reduced tongue base retraction resulting in residue in the vallecula was the most common disorder in the pharyngeal stage of the swallow. Oral transit time (OTT) and pharyngeal transit time (PTT) were prolonged. After LSVT, there was an overall 51% reduction in the number of swallowing motility disorders. Some temporal measures of swallowing were also significantly reduced as was the approximate amount of oral residue after 3 ml and 5 ml liquid swallows. Voice changes after LSVT included a significant increase in vocal intensity during sustained vowel phonation as well as during reading. CONCLUSIONS: LSVT seemingly improved neuromuscular control of the entire upper aerodigestive tract, improving oral tongue and tongue base function during the oral and pharyngeal phases of swallowing as well as improving vocal intensity.

Aged↗