title: Multidimensional assessment of strongly irregular voices such as in substitution voicing and spasmodic dysphonia: a compilation of own research.
abstract: This article is a compilation of own research performed during the European COoperation in Science and Technology (COST) action 2103: 'Advance Voice Function Assessment', an initiative of voice and speech processing teams consisting of physicists, engineers, and clinicians. This manuscript concerns analyzing largely irregular voicing types, namely substitution voicing (SV) and adductor spasmodic dysphonia (AdSD). A specific perceptual rating scale (IINFVo) was developed, and the Auditory Model Based Pitch Extractor (AMPEX), a piece of software that automatically analyses running speech and generates pitch values in background noise, was applied. The IINFVo perceptual rating scale has been shown to be useful in evaluating SV. The analysis of strongly irregular voices stimulated a modification of the European Laryngological Society's assessment protocol which was originally designed for the common types of (less severe) dysphonia. Acoustic analysis with AMPEX demonstrates that the most informative features are, for SV, the voicing-related acoustic features and, for AdSD, the perturbation measures. Poor correlations between self-assessment and acoustic and perceptual dimensions in the assessment of highly irregular voices argue for a multidimensional approach.
authors.affiliation: ENT/Phoniatrics and Head and Neck Surgery Department AZ Jan Palfijn , H. Dunantlaan 5 and AZ Maria Middelares Kortrijkstestwg 1026, Ghent , Belgium.
authors.forename: Mieke
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moerman
authors.forename: Jean-Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Martens
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dejonckere
mesh_terms: D000162:Acoustics; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D059026:Diagnostic Self Evaluation; D055154:Dysphonia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D012984:Software; D013061:Speech Acoustics; D013067:Speech Perception; D013068:Speech Production Measurement / Q000379:methods*; D014833:Voice Quality
keywords: AMPEX; Acoustics; IINFVo; laryngectomy; perception; self-evaluation; spasmodic dysphonia; substitution voicing; tracheo-esophageal speech