CT-based Morphometric Analysis of Professional Opera Singers' Vocal Folds

Prosodic Differences in the Voices of Transgender and Cisgender Women: Self-Perception of Voice - An Auditory and Acoustic Analysis

INTRODUCTION

The voice is an important parameter for identifying the speaker's gender. Transgender people seek to adapt their bodies to gender identity, and transgender women have greater difficulties in achieving vocal acceptance. In this context, the evaluation of the various parameters of the voice of transgender and cisgender women is essential to make it possible to propose appropriate intervention measures.

OBJECTIVES

To identify the differences in vocal characteristics of transgender and cisgender women.

METHODS

An sectional study was conducted. The sample comprised 20 transgender women and 20 cisgender women who underwent evaluation of acoustic parameters, emotional prosody, self-perception, and perception of gender by lay listeners.

RESULTS

The vocal characteristics of transgender and cisgender women differ in terms of the following parameters: f0, glottal noise excitation (GNE), vocal intensity, speech range profile (SRP), the first three formants of the vowel /a/, and in terms of emotional prosody, including duration and melodic contour. Higher values ​​were mostly found in the cisgender population, except for noise level and vocal intensity. In addition, in most cases lay listeners identified the voices of transgender women as belonging to the male gender. There was a negative correlation between vocal dissatisfaction and f0 among transgender women.

CONCLUSIONS

Even though they perform vocal adjustments, the voices of transgender women are different from cisgender women in terms of acoustic parameters, vocal extension, and emotional prosody including duration and melodic contour. These differences have repercussions on the perception of gender by listeners.

A Comparison of Countertenor Singing at Various Professional Levels Using Acoustic, Electroglottographic, and Videofluoroscopic Methods

INTRODUCTION

The vocal characteristics of countertenors (CTTs) are poorly understood due to a lack of studies in this field. This study aims to explore differences among CTTs at various professional levels, examining both disparities and congruences in singing styles to better understand the CTT voice.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Four CTTs (one student, one amateur, and two professionals) sang "La giustizia ha già sull'arco" from Handel's Giulio Cesare, with concurrent videofluoroscopic, electroglottography (EGG), and acoustic data collection. Auditory-perceptual analysis was employed to rate professional level. Acoustic analysis included LH1-LH2, formant cluster prominence, and vibrato analysis. EGG data was analyzed using FonaDyn software, while anatomical modifications were quantified using videofluoroscopic images.

RESULTS

CTTs exhibited EGG contact quotient values surpassing typical levels for inexperienced falsettos. Their vibrato characteristics aligned with expectations for classical singing, whereas the presence of the singer's formant was not observed. Variations in supraglottic adjustments among CTTs underscored the diversity of techniques employed by CTT singers.

CONCLUSIONS

CTTs exhibited vocal techniques that highlighted the influence of individual preferences, professional experience, and stylistic choices in shaping their singing characteristics. The data revealed discernible differences between professional and amateur CTTs, providing insights into the impact of varying levels of experience on vocal expression.

An Old Myth: Prediction of the Correct Singing Voice Classification. True or not?

OBJECTIVE

Predicting the correct singing voice classification based on laryngoscopy is an old myth. The aim of this study was to evaluate if a professional phoniatrician/laryngologist can predict the correct singing voice classification only from laryngoscopy and to analyze different anatomical parameters between professional sopranos and altos to determine whether a multivariate analysis of anatomical parameters can predict the singing register.

STUDY DESIGN

Prospective study METHODS: We included 49 professional female singers (25 sopranos, 24 altos). Laryngoscopic images were shown to professional phoniatricians/laryngologists to rate whether it they show a soprano or an alto. In addition, a high-resolution computer tomography (HRCT) scan was performed during singing of ƒ0 by each singer. DICOM scan data were rendered and 3D-visualized using the software MIMICS. In all singers, we measured the length of the vocal folds of the glottis, the distance from the anterior commissure orthogonally to the vertebral spine, and the antero-posterior distance of the subglottis/trachea 1 cm and 2 cm below the glottis. We also measured the length and volume of the resonance space.

RESULTS

It was not possible to predict the singing voice classification only from laryngoscopy. In the HRCT images, sopranos had significantly shorter vocal folds, a shorter glottal length, a shorter distance from the anterior commissure to the spine, and a shorter resonance space. When combining all parameters, the chance of correctly predicting a soprano was 74.1% and an alto 68.2%.

CONCLUSION

Although there are anatomical differences between sopranos and altos, prediction of the singing voice classification from laryngoscopy or HRCT is not reliable enough for clinical use.

Post-pubertal developmental trajectories of laryngeal shape and size in humans

Laryngeal morphotypes have been hypothesized related to both phonation and to laryngeal pathologies. Morphotypes have not been validated or demonstrated quantitatively and sources of shape and size variation are incompletely understood but are critical for the explanation of behavioral changes (e.g., changes of physical properties of a voice) and for therapeutic approaches to the larynx. This is the first study to take this crucial step and results are likely to have implications for surgeons and speech language pathologists. A stratified human sample was interrogated for phenotypic variation of the vocal organ. First, computed tomography image stacks were used to generate three-dimensional reconstructions of the thyroid cartilage. Then cartilage shapes were quantified using multivariate statistical analysis of high dimensional shape data from margins and surfaces of the thyroid cartilage. The effects of sex, age, body mass index (BMI) and body height on size and shape differences were analyzed. We found that sex, age, BMI and the age-sex interaction showed significant effects on the mixed sex sample. Among males, only age showed a strong effect. The thyroid cartilage increased in overall size, and the angulation between left and right lamina decreased in older males. Age, BMI and the age-height interaction were statistically significant factors within females. The angulation between left and right lamina increased in older females and was smaller in females with greater BMI. A cluster analysis confirmed the strong age effect on larynx shape in males and a complex interaction between the age, BMI and height variables in the female sample. The investigation demonstrated that age and BMI, two risk factors in a range of clinical conditions, are associated with shape and size variation of the human larynx. The effects influence shape differently in female and male larynges. The male-female shape dichotomy is partly size-dependent but predominantly size-independent.