Guo-She Lee1, Ching-Ping Wang, Sherry Fu. 1. Department of Otolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei City 112 Taiwan. gslee@ym.edu.tw
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The voice low tone to high tone ratio (VLHR) is defined as the power ratio of low frequency to high frequency energy obtained by dividing the voice spectrum with a specific cutoff frequency. In a previous study, VLHR correlated significantly with nasalance and perceptual rating of hypernasality for a single vowel. The methodology was optimized in this study by investigating the correlations among other vowels. DESIGN: Voice signals of six sustained vowels vocalized by subjects with hypernasality were collected. Vowel nasalance was obtained with a nasometer, and hypernasality rating scores were provided by two speech-language pathologists. The VLHRs calculated using different cutoff frequencies were correlated with nasalance and hypernasality rating scores. PARTICIPANTS: Eight subjects with hypernasality caused by palatal fistula or velopharyngeal insufficiency. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: VLHR, nasalance, and hypernasality rating score. RESULTS: The correlation of VLHR with nasalance and hypernasality rating was most significant using a cutoff frequency of 600 Hz. The correlation of VLHR with nasalance was significant (r = .62, p < .01, Pearson's correlation), as was the correlation of VLHR with hypernasality score (Spearman's rank correlation coefficient = .62, p < .01). CONCLUSIONS: VLHR correlated significantly with nasalance and hypernasality in the six sustained vowels and may provide another quantitative index for the evaluation of hypernasality in sustained vowels.
OBJECTIVE: The voice low tone to high tone ratio (VLHR) is defined as the power ratio of low frequency to high frequency energy obtained by dividing the voice spectrum with a specific cutoff frequency. In a previous study, VLHR correlated significantly with nasalance and perceptual rating of hypernasality for a single vowel. The methodology was optimized in this study by investigating the correlations among other vowels. DESIGN: Voice signals of six sustained vowels vocalized by subjects with hypernasality were collected. Vowel nasalance was obtained with a nasometer, and hypernasality rating scores were provided by two speech-language pathologists. The VLHRs calculated using different cutoff frequencies were correlated with nasalance and hypernasality rating scores. PARTICIPANTS: Eight subjects with hypernasality caused by palatal fistula or velopharyngeal insufficiency. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: VLHR, nasalance, and hypernasality rating score. RESULTS: The correlation of VLHR with nasalance and hypernasality rating was most significant using a cutoff frequency of 600 Hz. The correlation of VLHR with nasalance was significant (r = .62, p < .01, Pearson's correlation), as was the correlation of VLHR with hypernasality score (Spearman's rank correlation coefficient = .62, p < .01). CONCLUSIONS: VLHR correlated significantly with nasalance and hypernasality in the six sustained vowels and may provide another quantitative index for the evaluation of hypernasality in sustained vowels.
Authors: Marziye Eshghi; Kathryn P Connaghan; Sarah E Gutz; James D Berry; Yana Yunusova; Jordan R Green Journal: J Speech Lang Hear Res Date: 2021-10-29 Impact factor: 2.674
Authors: Vikram C Mathad; Nancy Scherer; Kathy Chapman; Julie M Liss; Visar Berisha Journal: IEEE Trans Biomed Eng Date: 2021-09-20 Impact factor: 4.756