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PloS One 2022Investigations of neuromuscular control of voice production have primarily focused on the roles of muscle activation levels, posture, and stiffness at phonation onset....
Investigations of neuromuscular control of voice production have primarily focused on the roles of muscle activation levels, posture, and stiffness at phonation onset. However, little work has been done investigating the stability of the phonation process in regards to spontaneous changes in vibratory mode of vocal fold oscillation as a function of neuromuscular activation. We evaluated 320 phonatory conditions representing combinations of superior and recurrent laryngeal nerve (SLN and RLN) activations in an in vivo canine model of phonation. At each combination of neuromuscular input, airflow was increased linearly to reach phonation onset and beyond from 300 to 1400 mL/s. High-speed video and acoustic data were recorded during phonation, and spectrograms and glottal-area-based parameters were calculated. Vibratory mode changes were detected based on sudden increases or drops of local fundamental frequency. Mode changes occurred only when SLNs were concurrently stimulated and were more frequent for higher, less asymmetric RLN stimulation. A slight increase in amplitude and cycle length perturbation usually preceded the changes in the vibratory mode. However, no inherent differences between signals with mode changes and signals without were found.
Topics: Animals; Dogs; Glottis; Laryngeal Nerves; Larynx; Phonation; Vibration; Vocal Cords
PubMed: 35421159
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0266910 -
Journal of Voice : Official Journal of... Sep 2022This study investigates the perceptual and acoustic changes in student actors' voices after 16 months of Linklater Voice training, which is a holistic method to train... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVE
This study investigates the perceptual and acoustic changes in student actors' voices after 16 months of Linklater Voice training, which is a holistic method to train actors' voices.
METHODS
Eleven (n = 11) actor students' text and Voice Range Profile (VRP) recordings were analyzed pretraining and 16 months posttraining. From text readings at comfortable performance loudness, both perceptual and acoustic analyses were made. Acoustic measures included sound pressure level (SPL), fundamental frequency (fo), and sound level differences between different frequency ranges derived from long-term-average spectrum. Sustained vowels [i:], [o], and [e] abstracted from the text sample were analyzed for formant frequencies F1-F4 and the frequency difference between F4 and F3. The VRP was registered to investigate SPL of the softest and loudest phonations throughout the voice range.
RESULTS
The perceived pitch range during text reading increased significantly. The acoustic result showed a strong trend toward decreasing in minimum fo, and increasing in maximum fo and fo range. The VRP showed a significant increase in the fo range and dynamics (SPL range). Perceived voice production showed a trend toward phonation balance (neither pressed-nor breathy) and darker voice color posttraining.
CONCLUSION
The perceptual and acoustic analysis of text reading and acoustic measures of VRP suggest that LV training has a positive impact on voice.
Topics: Humans; Phonation; Speech Acoustics; Students; Voice; Voice Quality; Voice Training
PubMed: 32951953
DOI: 10.1016/j.jvoice.2020.08.014 -
Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews.... May 2021African American Language (AAL) is one of the most researched varieties of American English, yet key aspects of its development and spread remain under-theorized. For... (Review)
Review
African American Language (AAL) is one of the most researched varieties of American English, yet key aspects of its development and spread remain under-theorized. For example, regional and social variation in the speech of African Americans was initially understudied in AAL as scholars sought to demonstrate the overall systematicity of the variety, often at the expense of examining variation across and within communities. More recently, scholars have begun to address this gap by examining different sources of variation in AAL phonology. For instance, the African American Vowel System (AAVS), also called the African American Vowel Shift, describes a pattern identified within AAL, including the raising of the front lax vowels and the nonfronting of the high- and mid-back vowels. Aspects of the AAVS have been found in geographically widespread varieties of AAL, suggesting that shared patterns of population movement resulting from the Great Migration and subsequent social experiences may have led to the development of this system. Other more regionally limited sound patterns suggest the role of more localized processes of variation and change. We focus on three sources of variation that have contributed to the spread and realizations of the sound system in modern AAL: migration, segregation, and place and identity. Evidence from sociophonetic analyses across these three factors provides a foundation to more thoroughly document the ways in which AAL varieties developed, spread, and vary, while allowing for a more nuanced assessment of racialization and its implications for individual differences. This article is categorized under: Linguistics > Linguistic Theory Psychology > Language.
Topics: Black or African American; Geography; Humans; Phonation; Phonetics; Speech; Speech Acoustics
PubMed: 33433053
DOI: 10.1002/wcs.1550 -
Respiratory Physiology & Neurobiology Feb 2017The respiratory system is a central part of voice production, but for phonation neither the underlying functional relations between diaphragm (DPH) and rib cage (RC),...
The respiratory system is a central part of voice production, but for phonation neither the underlying functional relations between diaphragm (DPH) and rib cage (RC), nor differences to normal breathing are yet understood. This study aims to compare respiratory dynamics in phonation and breathing via dynamic MRI of the lung. Images of the breathing apparatus of 6 professional singers were captured in a 1.5T MRI system in supine position during vital capacity breathing and maximal long sustained phonation at 3 different pitches and loudness conditions. In a dynamic series of cross-sectional images of the lung, distances between characteristic anatomical landmarks were measured. During exhalation in normal breathing the diaphragm and rib cage moved synchronously to reduce lung volume, but during phonation different functional units could be identified, which support phonation by facilitating the control of subglottic pressure.
Topics: Abdominal Muscles; Adult; Analysis of Variance; Diaphragm; Electroencephalography; Female; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Phonation; Respiration; Sex Characteristics; Spirometry; Supine Position; Time Factors
PubMed: 27871890
DOI: 10.1016/j.resp.2016.11.007 -
The Laryngoscope Aug 2016In speech and singing, the intrinsic laryngeal muscles set the prephonatory posture prior to the onset of phonation. The timing and shape of the prephonatory glottal...
INTRODUCTION
In speech and singing, the intrinsic laryngeal muscles set the prephonatory posture prior to the onset of phonation. The timing and shape of the prephonatory glottal posture can directly affect the resulting phonation type. We investigated the dynamics of human laryngeal phonatory posturing.
METHODS
Onset of vocal fold adduction to phonation was observed in 27 normal subjects using high-speed video recording. Subjects were asked to utter a variety of phonation types (modal, breathy, pressed, /i/ following sniff). Digital videokymography with concurrent acoustic signal was analyzed to assess the timing of the following: onset of adduction to final phonatory posture (FPT), phonation onset time (POT), and phonatory posture time (PPT). Final phonatory posture time was determined as the moment at which the laryngeal configuration used in phonation was first achieved.
RESULTS
Thirty-three audiovisual recordings met inclusion criteria. Average FPT, PPT, and POT were as follows: 303, 106, and 409 ms for modal; 430, 104, and 534 ms for breathy; 483, 213, and 696 ms for pressed; and 278, 98, and 376 ms for sniff-/i/. The following posturing features were observed: 1) pressed phonation: increased speed of closure just prior to final posture, complete glottal closure, and increased supraglottic hyperactivity; and 2) breathy phonation: decreased speed of closure prior to final posture, increased posterior glottal gap, and increased midmembranous gap.
CONCLUSIONS
Phonation onset latency was shortest for modal and longest for pressed voice. These findings are likely explained by glottal resistance and subglottal pressure requirements.
LEVEL OF EVIDENCE
NA. Laryngoscope, 126:1837-1843, 2016.
Topics: Glottis; Humans; Phonation
PubMed: 26690882
DOI: 10.1002/lary.25816 -
Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) Jul 2023Learning to speak properly requires a fully formed brain, good eyesight, and a functioning auditory system. Defective phonation is the outcome of a failure in the... (Review)
Review
Learning to speak properly requires a fully formed brain, good eyesight, and a functioning auditory system. Defective phonation is the outcome of a failure in the development of any of the systems or components involved in speech production. Dentures with strong phonetic skills can be fabricated with the help of a dentist who has a firm grasp of speech production and phonetic characteristics. Every dentist strives to perfect their craft by perfecting the balance between the technical, cosmetic, and acoustic aspects of dentistry, or "phonetics". The ideal prosthesis for a patient is one that not only sounds good but also functions well mechanically and aesthetically. Words are spoken by using articulators that alter their size and form. : Therefore, a prosthesis should be made in such a way that it does not interfere with the ability to communicate. As a result, a prosthodontist has to have a solid grasp of how speech is made and the numerous parts that go into it.
Topics: Humans; Speech; Phonetics; Phonation; Learning; Brain
PubMed: 37512133
DOI: 10.3390/medicina59071322 -
Problemy Endokrinologii Jan 2022Dysphonia is a symptom of many endocrine pathologies. Hoarseness, voice fatigue, decrease of the voice pitch, reduce of the range are typical complaints for... (Review)
Review
Dysphonia is a symptom of many endocrine pathologies. Hoarseness, voice fatigue, decrease of the voice pitch, reduce of the range are typical complaints for hypothyroidism, caused by an increased amount of polysaccharides and accumulation of fluid in the lamina propria of the vocal folds. An excess of growth hormone causes an overproduction of insulin-like growth factor-1, which leads to abnormalities in the craniofacial region and proliferation of the upper respiratory tract tissues, including thickening of the laryngeal cartilages, vocal folds and decreasing of the voice pitch. Hyperglycemia, changes in the balance of fluid and electrolytes in diabetes mellitus can indirectly affect the voice: xerostomia complicates phonation due to impaired hydration of the laryngeal mucosa, diabetic neuropathy often disrupts the work of the laryngeal muscles involved in voice formation. Voice changes are observed not only in endocrine disorders, but also during puberty, the phases of the menstrual cycle and during menopause. Laryngeal structures are modified under the influence of hormones and external factors, which generally changes pitch and intensity of the voice, timbre and resonance, articulation and prosodic characteristics. The purpose of this review is to summarize and systematize data on physiological and pathological voice changes in patients of different age groups and sex. The possibilities of a multidisciplinary approach to rational voice correction are demonstrated.
Topics: Dysphonia; Endocrine System Diseases; Female; Hoarseness; Humans; Laryngeal Muscles; Phonation; Voice
PubMed: 35488756
DOI: 10.14341/probl12822 -
CoDAS Apr 2016Teachers are professionals with high prevalence of dysphonia, whose main risk factors are the large work hours in classrooms with the presence of background noise. The... (Observational Study)
Observational Study
Teachers are professionals with high prevalence of dysphonia, whose main risk factors are the large work hours in classrooms with the presence of background noise. The purpose of the study was to calculate the phonation time and the cycle dose of teachers with dysphonia and teachers without voice disorders during the class. There were two groups analyzed: five teachers with functional dysphonia were the first group and five teachers without voice disorders were the second group. For the data was used the VoxLog® dosimeter and the parameters were: intensity; fundamental frequency; phonation time and cycle dose. The statistical analysis used ANOVA, Student's T-test, and Kruskal-Wallis test. Dysphonic teachers showed major values of phonation time and cycle dose compared with teachers without voice disorders. The dysphonia is related to extended period of speech time and greater exposure of the tissue of the vocal fold to phonotrauma.
Topics: Adult; Analysis of Variance; Dysphonia; Female; Humans; Middle Aged; Occupational Diseases; Phonation; Reference Values; Risk Factors; School Teachers; Speech Acoustics; Speech Production Measurement; Statistics, Nonparametric; Time Factors
PubMed: 27191884
DOI: 10.1590/2317-1782/20162015156 -
Journal of Voice : Official Journal of... May 2021Inspiratory Vocal Fry (IVF) is the voice production during inspiration of a sound with vocal fry perceptual characteristics. The existing scientific literature shows a... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVE
Inspiratory Vocal Fry (IVF) is the voice production during inspiration of a sound with vocal fry perceptual characteristics. The existing scientific literature shows a lack of studies on it. The aim of the study is to highlight anatomical and physiological characteristics of IVF, to assess its effects on spoken and singing voice, to confirm the potential usefulness in speech therapy and vocal pedagogy.
METHODS
Thirty-two healthy subjects (17 male and 15 female) underwent videolaryngostroboscopy to assess the degree of false vocal folds adduction, pharyngeal wall contraction, and degree of vocal folds stretching in different types of phonation: expiratory and inspiratory phonation, Expiratory Vocal Fry (EVF) and IVF. All these parameters were evaluated by a group of three speech therapists and one phoniatrician not belonging to the research group. In addition, for each subject an electroglottography was performed for all the types of phonation previously mentioned, highlighting Contact Quotient (CQ) and Closing/Closed Quotient (CCQ). Three subjects underwent electromyography for a preliminary study of the muscle activation in IVF.
RESULTS
False vocal folds adduction (P value = 0.000005) and pharyngeal wall contraction (P value = 0.001155) were significantly reduced in IVF compared to EVF; on the contrary, vocal folds stretching was significantly higher in IVF (P value = 0.000031). Electroglottographic CQ was significantly higher in IVF compared to EVF (P value = 0.019592) and the other types of phonation. Similar results were obtained considering CCQ, as IVF values for this parameter was significantly higher compared to EVF (P value = 0.013062) and expiratory phonation (P value = 0.001324). As regards electromyography, medial thyroarytenoid (TA) motor units were more recruited in IVF, while lateral TA motor units were more recruited in EVF. According to our results, IVF is characterized by higher elastic tension due to a reduced hypertonic contraction of TA muscle and a higher contraction of cricothyroid muscle. Electroglottographic results showed a wider vibratory cycle with an improved massaging effect on vocal folds mucosa. electromyography preliminary analysis confirmed our findings.
CONCLUSION
IVF could be an excellent and useful exercise to reduce muscular hypertonic tension and to facilitate mucosal elasticity. It could be potentially applied in speech therapy approach to dysfunctional and organic dysphonias, post-surgical treatment, in pedagogy and practice of artistic voice.
Topics: Female; Humans; Male; Phonation; Pilot Projects; Singing; Speech Therapy; Vocal Cords; Voice
PubMed: 31708370
DOI: 10.1016/j.jvoice.2019.10.004 -
European Archives of... Jan 2023The aim of this prospective case-control study was to determine the effect on the voice of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) in paediatric patients.
PURPOSE
The aim of this prospective case-control study was to determine the effect on the voice of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) in paediatric patients.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The study included patients aged 6-18 years followed up for at least 1 year because of T1DM, and a control group of age and gender-matched healthy volunteers. Following an Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) examination, all subjects underwent flexible endoscopic laryngeal examination. Fasting venous blood samples were taken in the morning for the examination of fasting blood glucose (FBG), HgbA1C, and kidney, liver, and thyroid function tests. Data were recorded from the patient files of age, gender, comorbidities, and the development of diabetes-related complications. Voice recordings were taken and the Voice Handicap Index (VHI)-10 form was completed. The patients and control group were compared in respect of the parameters of fundamental frequency, jitter, shimmer, and acoustic voice quality index (AVQI).
RESULTS
Evaluation was made of 64 children and adolescents as 32 in the patient group (Group 1) and 32 healthy control subjects (Group 2). Group 1 comprised 17 females and 15 males with a mean age of 12.75 ± 3.23 years. Group 2 comprised 17 females and 15 males with a mean age of 12.75 ± 3.33 years. In Group 1, mean disease duration was 5.21 ± 3.17 years (range, 1-13 years), the FBG value was mean 216.6 ± 122.3 mg/dl, mean HgbA1c was 10.7 ± 2.8, as ≤ 7 in 4 patients, 7-9 in 4, and > 9 in 24. Maximum phonation time (MPT) was determined as 10.66 ± 3.6 secs in Group 1 and 12.11 ± 4.43 in Group 2. VHI was determined as 2.33 ± 3 in Group 1 and 2.31 ± 2.77 in Group 2. No statistically significant difference was determined between the groups was determined in respect of acoustic analysis, perturbation parameters, AVQI and body mass index.
CONCLUSIONS
This study is the first to have investigated the effects of T1DM on the voice in paediatric patients. The study results showed that the AVQI value was higher in the patient group but not to a statistically significant level. Therefore, there is a need for further studies with larger samples. The current study can be of guidance for further studies in this field.
Topics: Adolescent; Child; Female; Humans; Male; Case-Control Studies; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1; Larynx; Phonation; Speech Acoustics; Voice Quality; Follow-Up Studies; Endoscopy
PubMed: 35829805
DOI: 10.1007/s00405-022-07543-z