Aerodynamic and Electroglottographic Measures of Normal Voice Production

1994 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 38-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maureen B. Higgins ◽  
Ronald Netsell ◽  
Laura Schulte

The purpose of this investigation was to quantify the normal intrasubject performance variability of four measures of phonatory function within and across sessions. Two different speaking tasks, syllable series and sentence production, were used to determine if more natural speaking tasks resulted in greater intrasubject variability. Vowel type ([i] versus [a]) also was varied. Estimated subglottal air pressure, mean phonatory air flow, abduction quotient, and fundamental frequency were derived from aerodynamic and electroglottographic signals obtained from 11 normally speaking men and 10 normally speaking women on four different days. Relative intrasubject variability was compared across speaking task, gender, and vowel type. Average across-session intrasubject variability was 5% for fundamental frequency and abduction quotient, 8% for estimated subglottal air pressure, and 15% for mean phonatory air flow during syllable repetition. There was significantly greater intrasubject variability for mean phonatory air flow and abduction quotient for the sentence repetition task. There were no significant differences in intrasubject variability across gender and vowel type. The data were used to compute cutoff values that represent the amount of variability that would be considered within normal limits. These normal data can be used for comparison when assessing and monitoring the phonatory abilities of individuals with voice disorders.

Author(s):  
Michael J. Hammer

Purpose Measures of estimated subglottal air pressure and translaryngeal air flow enable the researcher or clinician to noninvasively assess aerodynamic features related to respiratory and phonatory function. Our goal was to examine the unique relationship between air flow with sound pressure level (SPL) during syllable production while attempting to hold fundamental frequency and subglottal air pressure relatively constant. Method We completed two studies. Study 1: During syllable production, resultant sound pressure level was measured under conditions of constant fundamental frequency and estimated subglottal air pressure while systematically varying translaryngeal air flow. Study 2: During syllable production, resultant sound pressure level and closed quotient (using laryngeal stroboscopy) were measured under conditions of constant fundamental frequency and estimated subglottal air pressure while systematically varying translaryngeal air flow. Results Study 1: Findings suggest a steady increase in sound pressure level with increases in air flow between 25 cc/s and 150 cc/s. Interestingly, relatively stable mean sound pressure level was maintained over a considerable range of air flow values between 225 and 450 cc/s, suggesting that air flow could be further increased without a marked loss of sound pressure level. Study 2: Findings suggest a systematic increase in mean sound pressure level as supraglottic activity subsided and as the closed quotient decreased from 0.80 to 0.58. Interestingly, sound pressure level was relatively stable as the closed quotient decreased from 0.58 to 0.35. Conclusions Our findings suggest that sound pressure level can be maintained over a considerable range of increasing translaryngeal air flow values and over a considerable range of decreasing closed quotient values. These results provide motivation for investigating the interaction between air flow, glottal closure, and sound pressure level among other measures of phonatory function, with important clinical implications for therapeutic approaches that emphasize increases in air flow and focus on reducing contact between the vocal folds.


1998 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
pp. 712-724 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maureen B. Higgins ◽  
Ronald Netsell ◽  
Laura Schulte

The purpose of this investigation was to study the interaction between the supralaryngeal and laryngeal components of the speech mechanism by examining vowel-related effects for a variety of vocal fold articulatory and phonatory measures. Secondary issues were to determine if vowel-related differences were influenced by the nature of the speaking task or gender. Between-vowel differences in estimated subglottal air pressure, peak oral air flow, mean phonatory air flow, air flow near the termination of the vowel, electroglottograph cycle width (EGGW), fundamental frequency, and voice onset time were examined for men and women during syllable repetitions and sentence productions. Significant vowel-related differences were found for all of the measures except mean phonatory air flow, and generally were not influenced by speaking task or gender. Vowel-related effects for estimated subglottal air pressure, peak oral air flow, fundamental frequency, and VOT were consistent with some earlier studies. New findings included vowel-related differences in EGGW and air flow near the termination of the vowel. We propose a model that includes the contribution of mechanical forces, reflexive neural activity, and learned neural activity to explain vowel-related effects. When vowel height is varied, changes in laryngeal cartilage positioning and vocal fold and vocal tract tension appear to influence laryngeal articulatory and phonatory function.


1980 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 361-369 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Murry ◽  
E. Thomas Doherty

The purpose of this study was to determine if measures of speaking fundamental frequency and its perturbation could be useful in differentiating talkers with no known vocal pathology and talkers with cancer of the larynx. Ten male subjects, five with a diagnosed malignancy of the larynx and five with normal voice, produced speech samples from which five voice production measures were obtained: the average speaking fundamental frequency (SFF), SFF variability during the reading of a sentence, the f 0 of a sustained vowel and a percent and magnitude jitter value. The perturbation factors, both directional and magnitudinal, during sustained vowels were found to be significant in discriminating normal talkers from those with laryngeal cancer. The speaking funda- mental frequency and its variability during the reading of a sentence improved the dis- criminant function.


1987 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 387-395 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jerald B. Moon ◽  
Bernd Weinberg

Five laryngectomized, tracheoesophageal (TE) speakers completed a series of phonatory tasks developed to assess (a) aerodynamic and acoustic properties of TE voice and (b) aerodynamic and myoelastic contributions to the mediation of fundamental frequency change. These TE speakers' voices were characterized by increased trans-source airflow rates, comparable source driving pressures, and decreased airway resistances in comparison with standard esophageal speakers. TE speakers were capable of adjusting their voicing sources on a myoelastic basis to influence F o change. This result, coupled with findings that confirm aerodynamic contributions to TE phonation, are intepreted to suggest that TE voice production should be regarded as an aerodynamic-myeolastic event. Findings are integrated with existing data to highlight fundamental differences among TE, esophageal, and normal voice production.


2019 ◽  
Vol 62 (5) ◽  
pp. 1326-1337 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brittany L. Perrine ◽  
Ronald C. Scherer ◽  
Jason A. Whitfield

Purpose Oral air pressure measurements during lip occlusion for /pVpV/ syllable strings are used to estimate subglottal pressure during the vowel. Accuracy of this method relies on smoothly produced syllable repetitions. The purpose of this study was to investigate the oral air pressure waveform during the /p/ lip occlusions and propose physiological explanations for nonflat shapes. Method Ten adult participants were trained to produce the “standard condition” and were instructed to produce nonstandard tasks. Results from 8 participants are included. The standard condition required participants to produce /pːiːpːiː.../ syllables smoothly at approximately 1.5 syllables/s. The nonstandard tasks included an air leak between the lips, faster syllable repetition rates, an initial voiced consonant, and 2-syllable word productions. Results Eleven oral air pressure waveform shapes were identified during the lip occlusions, and plausible physiological explanations for each shape are provided based on the tasks in which they occurred. Training the use of the standard condition, the initial voice consonant condition, and the 2-syllable word production increased the likelihood of rectangular oral air pressure waveform shapes. Increasing the rate beyond 1.5 syllables/s improved the probability of producing rectangular oral air pressure signal shapes in some participants. Conclusions Visual and verbal feedback improved the likelihood of producing rectangular oral air pressure signal shapes. The physiological explanations of variations in the oral air pressure waveform shape may provide direction to the clinician or researcher when providing feedback to increase the accuracy of estimating subglottal pressure from oral air pressure.


1967 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 133-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas J. Hixon ◽  
Fred D. Minifie ◽  
Charles A. Tait

Intraoral air pressure, volume rate of airflow, and sound pressure level were measured during /∫/ and /s/ productions of two speakers. In addition numerical estimates of the loudness of the productions were made by each speaker and by a group of judges. The power laws governing the relations among the parameters of interest are discussed and the results are compared with available data on voice production.


Author(s):  
V Sureshkannan ◽  
TV Arjunan ◽  
D Seenivasan ◽  
SP Anbuudayasankar ◽  
M Arulraj

Compressed air free from traces of water vapour is vital in many applications in an industrial sector. This study focuses on parametric optimization of a pressure-based packed bed adsorption system for air dehumidification through the Taguchi method and Genetic Algorithm. The effect of operational parameters, namely absolute feed air pressure, feed air linear velocity, and purge air flow rate percent on adsorption uptake rate of molecular sieve 13X-water pair, are studied based on L25 orthogonal array. From the analysis of variance, it has been found that absolute feed air pressure and purge air flow rate percent were the parameters making significant improvement in the adsorption uptake rate. A correlation representing the process was developed using regression analysis. The optimum adsorption conditions were obtained through the Taguchi method and genetic algorithm and verified through the confirmation experiments. This system can be recommended for the industrial and domestic applications that require product air with the dew point temperature below 0°C.


1995 ◽  
Vol 32 (5) ◽  
pp. 382-389 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takashi Tachimura ◽  
Hisanaga Hara ◽  
Takeshi Wada

This study was designed to determine if levator veli palatini muscle activity can be elicited by simultaneous changes in oral air pressure and nasal air flow when a speech appliance is in place. The speech appliances routinely worn by 15 subjects were each modified experimentally by drilling a hole in the vertical center of the pharyngeal bulb. The air flow rate into the nasal cavity through the opening in the bulb was altered by changing the circular area of the opening in the bulb from the occluded condition (Condition I), to circular area of 12.6 mm2 (4 mm in diameter; Condition II), and then to 38.5 mm2 (7 mm in diameter; Condition III). Electromyographic activity was measured from the levator veli palatini muscle with changes in nasal air flow rate and oral air pressure. Levator veli palatini muscle activity was correlated with changes in nasal air flow and oral air pressure. Increases in levator veli palatini muscle activity were associated with increases in nasal air flow rate compared to oral air pressure changes. The results indicated that aerodynamic variables of nasal air flow and oral air pressure might be involved in the neural control of speech production in individuals wearing a speech appliance, even if the subjects exhibit velopharyngeal incompetence without using a speech appliance. Also, the stimulating effect of bulb reduction therapy on velopharyngeal function might be achieved through the change in aerodynamic variables in association with the bulb reduction.


Author(s):  
Michael Edward Edgerton

This chapter presents an overview of new developments in vocal exploration. Beginning with a discussion of multiple parameters involved in voice production, this chapter identifies the crucial role that non-linear phenomena has in the performance of the extra-normal voice. In this article, two related taxonomies are presented (source production related to degree of voicing; emphases within the acoustic framework of power, source, resonance, and articulation) that may be used as powerful generative tools for the production of multiple sound sources, filtering processes, and aerodynamic effects, etc. The paper then posits how scaled, multidimensional networks may be used to intelligently explore all elements of the acoustic sound production apparatus and not solely articulation, as is seen with some proponents of complex networks. In this discussion, it will be presented how fully scaling each parameter space will encompass far reaching benefits by engaging with little traversed regions of the total vocal topography.


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