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 task on determination of habitual pitch

The purpose of this study was to investigate if there was an effect of task on determination of habitual pitch, or speaking fundamental frequency (SFF). Seven tasks commonly used to elicit habitual pitch in clinical voice evaluations were compared. Three groups of normal subjects (N = 36) were examined (adult males, adult females, and male and female prepubescent children). For the adult male (n = 12) and pediatric (n = 12) subjects, no significant effect of task was found. For the adult female (n = 12) subjects, a statistically significant (P < .001) effect of task was found. All tasks were found to have high (>0.90) test-retest reliability for all subjects. Implications of the use of one task for determination of habitual pitch are discussed, as is the possibility of a task effect on determination of other voice parameters.     

The effect of task on determination of habitual loudness

The purpose of this study was to investigate if there is an effect of task on determination of habitual loudness. Four tasks commonly used to elicit habitual loudness were compared (automatic speech, elicited speech, spontaneous speech, and reading aloud). Participants were adult female speakers (N=30) with normal voice. A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed a statistically significant (p < 0.05) effect of task, with post-hoc analyses indicating that there was a statistically significant difference in habitual loudness elicited via automatic versus spontaneous speech (p < 0.05), and automatic speech versus reading aloud (p < 0.001). The issue of how habitual loudness is defined is considered. Implications of the use of one task for determination of habitual loudness are discussed, as is the possibility of a task effect on determination of other clinically useful vocal parameters.     

The effect of task on determination of maximum phonational frequency range

The purpose of this study was to investigate if there was an effect of task on determination of maximum phonational frequency range (MPFR). Two tasks commonly used to elicit MPFR in clinical voice evaluations were compared. Normal adult females (N = 30) were examined. No statistically significant effect of task was found. Both tasks (glissando and discrete-step) were found to have a high positive correlation (0.84). Implications of the use of one task for determination of maximum phonational frequency range are discussed, as is the possibility of a task effect on determination of other voice parameters.     

Speaking fo and cepstral periodicity analysis of conversational speech in a 105-year-old woman: Variability of aging effects

We investigated speaking fundamental frequency and periodicity of voicing during conversational speech in a 105-year-old woman. Analyses revealed higher mean speaking fundamental frequency compared to previously published data obtained from elderly women. In the absence of normative data, the results of cepstrum analyses performed on vowels produced during connected speech revealed less periodicity for the 105-year-old woman's voice than for a 35-year-old woman's voice. The main finding of this study indicates that previously reported group trends regarding aging effects on mean speaking fundamental frequency of the female voice cannot simply be attributed to all elderly individuals. These results stress the importance, for clinical and research purposes, of recognizing the existence of considerable intra- as well as intersubject variability in the effects of aging on the voice.     

Mid-Basal-to-Ceiling Versus Mid-Ceiling-to-Basal Elicitation of Maximum Phonational Frequency Range

The purpose of this study was to investigate if there was an effect of task on the determination of maximum phonational frequency range (MPFR). Two tasks commonly used to elicit MPFR in clinical voice evaluations were compared. Normal adult females (n = 30) were examined. No statistically significant effect of task was found. Both tasks (mid-basal-to-ceiling and mid-ceiling-to-basal) were found to have a high positive correlation (0.89). Implications of the use on one task to determine maximum phonational frequency range are discussed, as is the possibility of a task effect on determination of other voice parameters.     

Phonational profiles of female professional singers and nonsingers

Measures of the SFF, vocal intensity, phonational range, and habitualpitch level are reported for 39 professional singer and 39 nonsinger females, who were divided into three age groups (young, middle, and old age), with the professionals further divided into sopranos and altos. Each read the “Rainbow Passage” and spoke extemporaneously, from which measures of the SFF and vocal intensity were calculated; phonational range and habitual pitch levels were also determined. No significant differences were noted between the reading and speaking tasks. The SFF and intensity levels were significantly higher for the professionals in comparison to the nonsingers, but only for certain age groups. Moreover, whereas the nonsinger SFF levels varied significantly as a function of age, those for the professional singers did not. Although trends occurred, no significant differences were found for the mean phonational range or habitual pitch levels when the professionals and nonsingers were compared.     

Revisiting the Pitch Controversy: Changes in Speaking Fundamental Frequency (SFF) After Management of Functional Dysphonia

Speaking fundamental frequency (SFF) and its perceptual correlate "habitual pitch" have been considered important and contentious parameters in voice assessment and treatment. In clinical circles, disagreement exists regarding the role of habitual pitch in the development, maintenance, and treatment of disordered voices. Despite these divergent opinions, few studies have objectively evaluated SFF changes associated with voice improvement after therapy. To determine whether consistent directional and magnitude changes in SFF occur after management, pretreatment and posttreatment audio recordings of 40 women with functional dysphonia were analyzed. All subjects were treated with manual circumlaryngeal therapy, a treatment approach that does not directly target pitch as a perceptual entity to be manipulated. Results indicated that, as a group, no significant change in mean SFF was observed after successful management. Although no consistent directional pattern was identified, 80% of the subjects experienced pitch changes greater than one semitone; this suggests that voice improvement is often accompanied by a shift in SFF. Clinical implications of the data are discussed.     

Speaking fundamental frequency characteristics as a function of age and professional singing

The purposes of this project were to discover (1) if the speaking fundamental frequency (SFF) levels of professional singers differ significantly from those of nonsingers and (2) if the age-related SFF patterns are similar for these two classes of individuals. Sixty professional singers and 94 nonsingers were recorded reading the first paragraph of the “Rainbow Passage;” both males and females were included. Three paired groups (young, middle, and old age) were studied; they were selected on the basis of health and age. The professional singer groups were further divided by a binary voice classification system, specifically that of soprano/alto for women and tenor/baritone for men. It was found that the sopranos and tenors exhibited significantly higher SFF levels then did the age-matched nonsingers, whereas the altos and baritones did not differ significantly from the controls. Relationships within the performer groups were mixed. For example, there appeared to be a systemic trend for the sopranos and tenors to exhibit higher SFF levels than the altos and baritones. Finally, although the nonsinger SFF levels varied significantly as a function of age, those for the professional singers did not.     

Effect of Pregnancy on the Speaking Voice

The study aims to investigate the vocal symptoms and acoustic changes in pregnant women pre- and postpartum in comparison to the controls. A total of 25 pregnant women who presented for delivery were enrolled in this study. Twenty-one nonpregnant women were matched as controls. Vocal symptoms such as hoarseness, vocal fatigue, and aphonia were assessed. Acoustic analysis included fundamental frequency (F₀), habitual pitch, relative average perturbation (RAP), shimmer, noise-to-harmony ratio (NHR), and maximum phonation time (MPT). There were no significant differences in the incidence of vocal symptoms in pregnant women versus controls. However, vocal fatigue was more prevalent in the pregnant group. With respect to the acoustic parameters, there was a significant decrease in the MPT at term. The rest of the variables were comparable. Postpartum, the MPT significantly increased and there was an increase in F₀ and a significant decrease in the voice turbulence index (VTI). Pregnant women have more vocal fatigue and a reduction in MPT compared to the controls. Immediately after delivery, there is a significant increase in MPT.     

Changes in Children''s Voices: The Effect of Cognitive Cues

Variation in duration and frequency during two readings of each of four sentences by 15 normal 9- and 10-year-old children were compared. Instructions to the children included overt cues designed specifically to elicit durational and frequency changes. Children demonstrated increased sentence variability in their voices when they were cued. Specific key words in the four sentences were also analyzed and results indicated that semantic content in addition to parameter-specific cognitive cues provided a significant effect. The male 9 and 10-year-old subjects showed less variability in “no cue” readings than the females, but showed a greater increase in voice change during the “cognitive cue” readings. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.     

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.     

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.     

The Effect of Exposure Duration on Stereopsis and Its Dependency on Spatial Frequency

To investigate the effect of exposure duration on stereopsis and its spatial frequency dependency, we measured disparity threshold for the depth discrimination varying stimulus exposure duration between 0.05 and 2 s for three spatial frequencies (0.23, 0.94 and 3.75 c/deg). The results showed that disparity threshold decreased with increase in exposure duration up to a certain duration, beyond which it was approximately constant (the duration is called critical duration). The critical duration was about 150 ms for gratings with low and middle spatial frequencies (0.23 and 0.94 c/deg) while the duration was about 750 ms for gratings with high spatial frequency (3.75 c/deg). This suggests that temporal integration property varies dependently on stimulus spatial frequency. We also attempted to relate the spatial frequency dependency of the temporal integration property to the differences in temporal frequency tuning to different spatial frequency stimuli.     

The Towne-Heuer reading passage—A reliable aid to the evaluation of voice

The science of voice evaluation and assessment has profited from technological advancement and objective measurement of voice parameters has become an integral part of the voice examination, however, subjective voice evaluation remains a vital component of any voice examination. The Towne-Heuer Reading Passage was developed in 1970 to provide a reading sample that would facilitate subjective voice evaluation. The reliability of the passage was established using three judges listening to 15 normal Philadelphia speakers and 15 vocal abuse-misuse clients with verified vocal nodules. The frequency of hard glottal attack (HGA) was determined for the two groups and high interjudge and intrajudge correlation was found. A difference in the frequency of HGA was found between the two groups.