The role of cognitive cueing in eliciting vocal variability

Variation in duration and frequency during three readings of each of eight sentences by 9 normal and 4 voice-disordered subjects are compared. Instructions to the subjects varied with respect to the amount and type of cognitive cueing presented in the trials, and the sentences were read in random order. Variability in fundamental frequency (F₀) was greater when pitch variation was specifically cued. Also, the portion of the sentence that was cued had greater variability in F₀ than other parts of the sentence. Variation in fundamental frequency was significantly greater in the cued versus uncued sentence trials for the voice-disordered subjects but not for the normal subjects. However, all subjects exhibited significantly greater duration for cued versus uncued readings of the same sentences. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.     

Effects of Family Therapy on Children''s Voices

The families of nine children with deviant voice qualities were selected for family treatment according to the SYGESTI model. Recordings of the children's speech were made before and after therapy. Perceptual evaluation of their voice quality showed significant improvement in various perceptual parameters after the therapy. Acoustical analysis confirmed changes of voice quality and mean fundamental frequency in speech. The therapy also was found to improve relations between family members, conflict management and other aspects of communication. The results suggest that these children's deviant voices were related to family conditions.     

Acoustic Changes in Student Actors' Voices After 12 Months of Training

This study was to evaluate acoustic changes in student actors' voices after 12 months of actor training. The design used was a longitudinal study. Eighteen students enrolled in an Australian tertiary 3-year acting program (nine male and nine female) were assessed at the beginning of their acting course and again 12 months later using a questionnaire, interview, maximum phonation time (MPT), reading, spontaneous speaking, sustained phonation tasks, and a pitch range task. Samples were analyzed for MPT, fundamental frequency across tasks, pitch range for speaking and reading, singing pitch range, noise-to-harmonic ratio, shimmer, and jitter. After training, measures of shimmer significantly increased for both male and female participants. Female participants' pitch range significantly increased after training, with a significantly lower mean frequency for their lowest pitch. The finding of limited or negative changes for some measures indicate that further investigation is required into the long-term effects of actor voice training and which parameters of voicing are most targeted and valued in training. Particular investigation into the relationship between training targets and outcomes could more reliably inform acting programs about changes in teaching methodologies. Further research into the relationship between specific training techniques, physiological changes, and vocal changes may also provide information on implementing more evidence-based training methods.     

The accent method of voice therapy: Effect of accentuations on FO, SPL, and airflow

The effect of the increased flow rate (ΔU) in response to the Accent Method exercises on fundamental frequency (FO) and sound pressure level (SPL) was studied in three subjects (professionally trained, trained, and untrained in this method). In all the subjects, the rhythmic accentuated exercises produced a variable degree of increase in FO (ΔFO) and SPL (ΔSPL). The professionally trained subject showed greater ΔFO and ΔSPL in response to the ΔU in the fastest tempo, which requires higher skills. Both trained subjects showed a greater correlation between ΔU and both ΔSPL and ΔFO, as well as between ΔFO and ΔSPL, as compared to the untrained subject. The effects of the accentuated exercises on FO and SPL in response to the increased airflow rate (ΔU) thus appear to demonstrate the treating effectiveness of the Accent Method.     

Effect of a Combined Exercise and Cognitive Activity Intervention on Cognitive Function in Community-dwelling Older Adults: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

Objective: The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of an intervention combining exercise and cognitive activity on cognitive function in healthy older adults. Methods: This pilot randomized controlled trial recruited 33 eligible, healthy communitydwelling older adults (mean age, 77.1 years old; women, 51.5%), who were divided into intervention and waitlist control groups. The intervention group was engaged weekly in a group activity comprising exercise and discussions of homework, which included reading aloud, simple arithmetic, and simple activities, like spotting differences, for cognitive stimulation. They were also required to complete cognitive activity homework twice a week. The waitlist control group received no intervention. The main outcomes were cognitive function assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination, delayed recall score on the Logical Memory IIA of the Wechsler Memory Scale Revised, Trail Making Test, and digit symbol substitution test. Results: According to the results, Mini-Mental State Examination scores were maintained in the intervention group but declined in the control group [Mean change in outcomes in control group (95% confidence interval): -1.68 (-2.89 to -0.48)]. Additional mean change in outcomes in intervention group were found [1.68 (0.02 to 3.35)]. Conclusions: Interventions combining exercise and cognitive activity can be helpful for preserving cognitive function in healthy older adults.     

The Effect of Speaking Context on Elicitation of Habitual Pitch

The purpose of this study was to investigate if there was an effect of speaking context on the elicitation of habitual pitch [speaking fundamental frequency (SFF)]. Six simulated speaking contexts were created (speaking during a voice evaluation, speaking in public, speaking to a peer, speaking to a superior, speaking to a subordinate, and speaking to a parent or spouse), and the SFF for 30 adult women with normal voice was compared across these contexts. A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed a statistically significant (P < 0.001) effect of simulated speaking context on SFF, with post hoc analyses indicating a statistically significant difference in SFF while "speaking to a superior" (P < 0.001) and "speaking to a subordinate" (P < 0.001). Possible reasons for an effect of speaking context are discussed. Also, the implications of the use of varied speaking contexts when eliciting SFF are discussed, as is the possibility of an effect of speaking context on the elicitation of other clinically useful voice parameters.     

The Effect of Speaking Sample Duration on Determination of Habitual Pitch

The purpose of this study was to investigate if there was an effect of duration of speaking on determination of habitual pitch. Five speaking periods commonly used to elicit habitual pitch in clinical voice evaluations were compared (1, 5, 15, 30, and 60 seconds). Thirty female speakers with normal voices participated. Results of a within-subject univariate F-test revealed a statistically significant (p < 0.001) difference in habitual pitch among the speaking periods. Habitual pitch for the 1-second and 60-second speaking periods were found to be statistically significantly (p < 0.05) different than all remaining speaking periods, and the habitual pitch for the 30-second speaking period was found to be statistically significantly (p < 0.05) different than 60-second speaking period. Implications for the use of various speaking durations when determining habitual pitch are discussed, as is the possibility of a speaking duration effect on determination of other pitch-related voice parameters.     

The Effect of Tonal Changes on Voice Onset Time in Mandarin Esophageal Speech

SUMMARY: The present study investigated the effect of tonal changes on voice onset time (VOT) between normal laryngeal (NL) and superior esophageal (SE) speakers of Mandarin Chinese. VOT values were measured from the syllables /pha/, /tha/, and /kha/ produced at four tone levels by eight NL and seven SE speakers who were native speakers of Mandarin. Results indicated that Mandarin tones were associated with significantly different VOT values for NL speakers, in which high-falling tone was associated with significantly shorter VOT values than mid-rising tone and falling-rising tone. Regarding speaker group, SE speakers showed significantly shorter VOT values than NL speakers across all tone levels. This may be related to their use of pharyngoesophageal (PE) segment as another sound source. SE speakers appear to take a shorter time to start PE segment vibration compared to NL speakers using the vocal folds for vibration.     

Dissimilarity and the Classification of Female Singing Voices: A Preliminary Study

Traditionally, timbre has been defined as that perceptual attribute that differentiates two sounds when pitch and loudness are equal and thus is a measure of dissimilarity. By such a definition, each voice possesses a set of timbres, and the identity of any voice or voice category across different pitch-loudness-vowel combinations must be due to an abstraction of the pattern of timbre transformation. Using stimuli produced across the singing range by singers from different voice categories, this study sought to examine how timbre and pitch interact in the perception of dissimilarity. This study also investigated whether listener experience affects the perception of timbre as a function of pitch. The resulting multidimensional scaling (MDS) representations showed that for all stimuli and listeners, dimension 1 correlated with pitch, whereas dimension 2 correlated with spectral centroid and separated vocal stimuli into the categories mezzo-soprano and soprano. Dimension 3 appeared highly idiosyncratic depending on the nature of the stimuli and on the experience of the listener. Inexperienced listeners appeared to rely more heavily on pitch in making dissimilarity judgments than did experienced listeners. The resulting MDS representations of dissimilarity across pitch provide a glimpse of the timbre transformation of voice categories across pitch.     

The Effect of Oxandrolone on Voice Frequency in Growth Hormone-Treated Girls With Turner Syndrome

Objectives/Hypothesis

Oxandrolone (Ox) increases height gain but may also cause voice deepening in growth hormone (GH)-treated girls with Turner syndrome (TS). We assessed the effect of Ox on objective and subjective speaking voice frequency in GH-treated girls with TS.

Study Design

A multicenter, randomized, placebo (Pl)-controlled, double-blind study was conducted.

Methods

One hundred thirty-three patients were included and treated with GH (1.33 mg/m²/d) from baseline, combined with Pl or Ox in a low (0.03 mg/kg/d) or conventional (0.06 mg/kg/d) dose from the age of 8 years and estrogens from the age of 12 years. Yearly from starting Ox/Pl until 6 months after discontinuing GH + Ox/Pl, voices were recorded and questionnaires were completed.

Results

At start, mean (±standard deviation [SD]) voice frequency SD score (SDS) was high for age (1.0 ± 1.2, P < 0.001) but normal for height. Compared with GH + Pl, voices tended to lower on GH + Ox 0.03 (P = 0.09) and significantly lowered on GH + Ox 0.06 (P = 0.007). At the last measurement, voice frequency SDS was still relatively high in GH + Pl group (0.6 ± 0.7, P = 0.002) but similar to healthy girls in both GH + Ox groups. Voice frequency became lower than −2 SDS in one patient (3%) on GH + Ox 0.03 and three patients (11%) on GH + Ox 0.06. The percentage of patients reporting subjective voice deepening was similar between the dosage groups.

Conclusions

Untreated girls with TS have relatively high-pitched voices. The addition of Ox to GH decreases voice frequency in a dose-dependent way. Although most voice frequencies remain within the normal range, they may occasionally become lower than −2 SDS, especially on GH + Ox 0.06 mg/kg/d.     

Voice Therapy Improves Quality of Life in Age-Related Dysphonia: A Case-Control Study

The objective of the study is to determine the efficacy of voice therapy in the treatment of age-related dysphonia. The study was conducted using a retrospective case-control chart review. The medical records of 54 patients older than 60 years diagnosed with age-related dysphonia without complicating diagnoses were reviewed. Patients who chose to undergo voice therapy were grouped as cases. Patients who chose not to undergo voice therapy were grouped as controls. The voice-related quality of life (VRQOL) measure was used to measure outcomes before and after treatment in cases and at a minimum 2-month follow-up in controls. Of the 54 patients, 19 (10 female, 9 male; mean age 73 years) chose to undergo voice therapy and filled in >1 VRQOL questionnaire. Six patients (3 female, 3 male; mean age 66 years) chose not to undergo voice therapy and filled in >1 VRQOL questionnaire. The 19 cases experienced a mean improvement in VRQOL score of 19.21 (2-tailed matched pairs t test P=0.00038) after a mean of 4.1 voice therapy sessions and 5.1 months. The six controls experienced a mean change in VRQOL score of 0.42 (2-tailed matched pairs t test P=0.96) after a mean of 3.3 months. Voice therapy leads to statistically significant improvement in the VRQOL life in elderly patients with age-related dysphonia. It is an efficacious noninvasive therapy for this disease.