title: Artificial neural network analysis to assess hypernasality in patients treated for oral or oropharyngeal cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Investigation of applicability of neural network feature analysis of nasalance in speech to assess hypernasality in speech of patients treated for oral or oropharyngeal cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Speech recordings of 51 patients and of 18 control speakers were evaluated regarding hypernasality, articulation, intelligibility, and patient-reported speech outcome. Feature analysis of nasalance was performed on /a/, /i/, and /u/ and on the entire stretch of speech.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nasalance distinguished significantly between patients and controls. Nasalance in /a/ and /i/ predicted best intelligibility, nasalance in /a/ predicted best articulation, and nasalance in /i/ and /u/ predicted best hypernasality.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Feature analysis of nasalance in oral or oropharyngeal cancer patients is feasible; prediction of subjective parameters varies between moderate and poor.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Marieke
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Bruijn
authors.forename: Louis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: ten Bosch
authors.forename: Dirk J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Kuik
authors.forename: Johannes A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Langendijk
authors.forename: C René
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Leemans
authors.forename: Irma
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Verdonck-de Leeuw
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D009426:Netherlands; D016571:Neural Networks, Computer; D009959:Oropharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D010699:Phonation; D010700:Phonetics; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D013018:Sound Spectrography; D013065:Speech Intelligibility; D013068:Speech Production Measurement; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014833:Voice Quality; D055815:Young Adult