Feasibility of measurement of a voice range profile with a semi-occluded vocal tract

Tessa: A Novel MATLAB Program for Automated Tessitura Analysis

OBJECTIVE

Tessitura-the habitual pitch range of a musical piece or role-is widely accepted as a significant factor in determining whether a singer should perform a given piece or role. However, attempts to quantify tessitura have historically relied on laborious hand calculations. The current study introduces a novel MATLAB program ("Tessa") that automates tessitura analysis of digital sheet music in the MusicXML format. This program will allow voice teachers and singing voice specialists to assess the appropriateness of musical pieces or roles for their students and clients.

METHODS

Tessa converts sheet music in the open-source MusicXML (MXL or XML) format to a MATLAB-compatible structure array (MAT). Once converted, the program extracts pitch, duration, and lyric information from the structure file, then saves relevant arrays to the user's computer. Finally, Tessa performs analyses on the piece's tessitura data, including histogram, box plot, and descriptive statistical analyses. Variables such as tempo, score part number, and the piece's title are automatically saved in order to facilitate repeated analyses.

RESULTS

A sample analysis of Franz Schubert's song cycle Winterreise, D.911 is presented, with specific reference to the songs "3. Gefrorne Tränen" and "4. Erstarrung" as examples of pieces with markedly different tessituras-and, consequently, markedly different levels of vocal demand.

DISCUSSION

Tessa is hosted on a GitHub repository (https://github.com/Allerseelen/Tessa) and is intended for open-source use and modification under the GNU General Public License v3.0. Voice teachers, singing voice specialists, and musicians may compare Tessa's analyses with voice range profiles or other assessment tools in order to evaluate repertoire and plan pacing strategies for extended performances.

Immediate Effect of the Finger-Kazoo Technique Associated with Glissandos in the Voice of Individuals with Parkinson's Disease

OBJECTIVE

To verify the immediate effect of the Finger Kazoo technique associated with glissandos in the voice of individuals with Parkinson's disease.

METHOD

Thirty subjects with Parkinson's Disease comprised of 15 men and 15 women with a mean age of 63.8 years (± 6.88) and mean time of diagnosis of 97.33 (± 63.53) months, all with preserved cognition. The subjects' voice range profile (VRP), speech range profile (SRP), and the maximum phonation time were assessed, before and after applying the Finger Kazoo technique associated with ascending and descending glissando. After the technique, a vocal satisfaction questionnaire was completed.

RESULTS

After the applied technique there was an increase in the minimum and maximum fundamental frequency recorded respectively in the SRP and in the VRP; there was an increase in the vocal range (measured in Hertz and semitones) of the women, recorded in the VRP; in the male population, there was an increase in maximum phonation time. A higher percentage of positive references to vocal improvement was observed after the exercise.

CONCLUSION

In patients with Parkinson's Disease, the Finger Kazoo with glissando technique promoted an increase in the minimum fundamental frequency of the SRP and in the vocal extensions of women, as well as increasing the maximum phonatory time of men. In addition, patients reported satisfaction with the use of the technique and its results.

Estimating Subglottal Pressure From Neck-Surface Acceleration During Normal Voice Production

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the potential for estimating subglottal air pressure using a neck-surface accelerometer and to compare the accuracy of predicting subglottal air pressure relative to predicting acoustic sound pressure level (SPL).

Method

Indirect estimates of subglottal pressure (Psg') were obtained from 10 vocally healthy speakers during loud-to-soft repetitions of 3 different /p/-vowel gestures (/pa/, /pi/, /pu/) at 3 pitch levels in the modal register. Intraoral air pressure, neck-surface acceleration, and radiated acoustic pressure were recorded, and the root-mean-square amplitude of the acceleration signal was correlated with Psg' and SPL.

Results

The coefficient of determination between accelerometer level and Psg' was high when data were pooled from all vowel and pitch contexts for each participant (r2 = .68-.93). These relationships were stronger than corresponding relationships between accelerometer level and SPL (r2 = .46-.81). The average 95% prediction interval for estimating Psg' using accelerometer level was ±2.53 cm H2O, ranging from ±1.70 to ±3.74 cm H2O across participants.

Conclusions

Accelerometer signal amplitude correlated more strongly with Psg' than with SPL. Future work is warranted to investigate the robustness of the relationship in nonmodal voice qualities, individuals with voice disorders, and accelerometer-based ambulatory monitoring of subglottal pressure.

Airway Hypersensitivity, Reflux, and Phonation Contribute to Chronic Cough

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Although chronic cough is common, its etiology is often elusive, making patient management a challenge. Gastroesophageal reflux and airway hypersensitivity can cause chronic cough. We explored the relationship between reflux, phonation, and cough in patients with idiopathic chronic cough.

METHODS

We performed a blinded, cross-sectional study of nonsmoking patients with chronic cough (duration, >8 weeks) refractory to reflux treatment referred to the Digestive Disease Center at Vanderbilt University. All underwent 24-hour acoustic recording concurrently and temporally synchronized with ambulatory pH-impedance monitoring. Cough, phonation, and pH-impedance events were recorded. We evaluated the temporal relationship between cough and phonation or reflux events using Poisson and logistic regression.

RESULTS

Seventeen patients met the inclusion criteria (88% female; 100% white; median age, 63 years [interquartile age range, 52-66 years]; mean body mass index, 30.6 [interquartile range, 27.9-34.0]); there were 2048 analyzable coughing events. The probability of subsequent coughing increased with higher burdens of preceding cough, reflux, or phonation. Within the first 15 minutes after a cough event, the cough event itself was the main trigger of subsequent cough events. After this period, de novo coughing occurred with increases of 1.46-fold in association with reflux alone (95% confidence interval, 1.17-1.82; P < .001) and 1.71-fold in association with the combination of phonation and reflux events.

CONCLUSIONS

Antecedent phonation and reflux increased the rate of cough events in patients with idiopathic chronic cough. Reflux events were more strongly associated with increased rate of coughing. Our findings support the concept that airway hypersensitivity is a cause of chronic cough, and that the vocal folds may be an effector in chronic cough ClinicalTrials.gov number: NCT01263626.

Evaluation of auditory and visual feedback for airflow interruption

INTRODUCTION

Clinical application of mechanical interruption methods for measuring aerodynamic parameters has been hindered by relatively high intrasubject variability. To improve the intrasubject reliability, we evaluated the effect of auditory and visual feedback on subject performance when measuring aerodynamic parameters with the airflow interrupter.

METHODS

Eleven subjects performed four sets of 10 trials with the airflow interrupter: no feedback (control); auditory feedback (tone matching subject's F0 played over headphones); visual feedback (real-time feedback of sound pressure level, frequency, and airflow); and combined auditory and visual feedback. Task order was varied across subjects. The effect of each feedback method on mean and coefficient of variation (CV) of subglottal pressure (Ps), mean flow rate (MFR), and laryngeal airway resistance (RL; Ps/MFR) compared with that of the control trials was determined using paired t tests. Feedback methods were compared against each other using one-way repeated measures analysis of variance.

RESULTS

Each feedback method significantly decreased CV of RL compared with that of the control trials (auditory feedback: P=0.005; visual feedback: P=0.008; and combined feedback: P<0.001). Auditory feedback (P=0.011) and combined feedback (P=0.026) also decreased CV of MFR. Mean MFR was significantly higher during trials with visual feedback compared with that of the auditory feedback.

CONCLUSIONS

Each feedback method improved the intrasubject consistency when measuring RL. Feedback appeared to have a greater effect on MFR than Ps. Although there is no clear optimal feedback method, each is preferable to not providing any feedback during trials. Evaluating new methods of visual feedback to further improve MFR and thus RL measurement would be valuable.