The long-term objective of this research is to develop a scientific basis for standardization of acoustic voice analysis. This type of analysis is being used today to test various aspects of human body function and condition. Attempts are being made to study mental disorders, neurological disease, aging, emotion, veracity, stress, and a host of respiratroy and larygeal disorders. Effects of smoking, alcohol, drugs, and pollution on the human voice have also received increased attention. There are no agreed-upon standards, however, for eliciting and recording voice samples, or for extracting acoustic measures. Furthermore, there is no theoretical framework for interpretation of the measures. This reserach contributes toward the development of such standards and interpretations.
Specific aims are to develop a set of vocal utterances that test the range and stability of the vocal fold oscillator when muscle tensions, airway structure, and viscoelastic properties of mucus and tissue are abnormal. A series of steady phonation, phonatory transitions, and sentences are proposed within the framework of the phonetogram. Redundancies are eliminated between perturbation measures and spectral slope measures that parametrize the acoustic signal. Since some of the acoustic effets are subtle, criteria are examined for adequate fidelity in recording, filtering, and sampling of voiced utterances. Questions regarding length and multiplicity (number of tokens) of acoustic observations are raised and answered. Finally, a data bank of natural and synthesized vocal utterances in initialized for eventual distribution. As it expands, it will serve as a benchmark for calibration of procedures, for training of clinicians, and for preceptual studies on the human voice.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
8R01DC000387-03
Application #
3216758
Study Section
Hearing Research Study Section (HAR)
Project Start
1987-07-01
Project End
1990-06-30
Budget Start
1989-07-01
Budget End
1990-06-30
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
1989
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Denver Center for the Performing Arts
Department
Type
DUNS #
010615888
City
Denver
State
CO
Country
United States
Zip Code
80204
Tom, K; Titze, I R (2001) Vocal intensity in falsetto phonation of a countertenor: an analysis by synthesis approach. J Acoust Soc Am 110:1667-76
Winholtz, W S; Titze, I R (1998) Suitability of minidisc (MD) recordings for voice perturbation analysis. J Voice 12:138-42
Winholtz, W S; Titze, I R (1997) Conversion of a head-mounted microphone signal into calibrated SPL units. J Voice 11:417-21
Winholtz, W S; Titze, I R (1997) Miniature head-mounted microphone for voice perturbation analysis. J Speech Lang Hear Res 40:894-9
Scherer, R C; Vail, V J; Guo, C G (1995) Required number of tokens to determine representative voice perturbation values. J Speech Hear Res 38:1260-9
Titze, I R; Wong, D; Milder, M A et al. (1995) Comparison between clinician-assisted and fully automated procedures for obtaining a voice range profile. J Speech Hear Res 38:526-35
Titze, I R (1994) The G. Paul Moore Lecture. Toward standards in acoustic analysis of voice. J Voice 8:1-7
Titze, I R; Winholtz, W S (1993) Effect of microphone type and placement on voice perturbation measurements. J Speech Hear Res 36:1177-90
Aronson, A E; Ramig, L O; Winholtz, W S et al. (1992) Rapid voice tremor, or ""flutter,"" in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 101:511-8
Winholtz, W S; Ramig, L O (1992) Vocal tremor analysis with the Vocal Demodulator. J Speech Hear Res 35:562-73

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