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Messa di Voce (MdV) is a challenging task for singers, requiring an even modulation of sound pressure level (SPL) on a stable pitch. This study concentrates on the effects of fast or slow task-speed on voice stability parameters, and the associated laryngeal behavior. The focus is set on professionally trained singers. Ten professionally trained, healthy singers (5 female, 5 male) were asked to perform MdV exercises, i.e., a gradual increase and decrease of SPL, on the vowel [i:] on a stable fundamental frequency (fo ≈ 247 Hz for females and fo ≈ 124 Hz for males). First, each phase, i.e., increasing or decreasing SPL, should take 3 s. Second, each phase should take 1 s. The tasks were recorded by high-speed videolaryngoscopy (HSV), electroglottography, and audio signals. The following parameters were calculated and compared to the sound pressure level (SPL) curve: Electroglottographic (EGG) and Glottal Area Waveform (GAW) Open Quotients (OQEGG, OQGAW), Closing Quotient (ClQGAW) relative to start, Relative Average Perturbation (RAPAudio/EGG/GAW), and Sample Entropy (SE EGG). In most subjects, no correlation of vibrato and SPL course was detected. Instabilities with higher SEEGG occurred at the start/end of the slow task, but not around the SPL apex. Generally, negative correlations of SPL to OQGAW, ClQGAW and RAPAudio were present. RAPEGG and RAPGAW were not significant. In five subjects the decreasing phase of the slow task was 1-2 s longer. The majority of subjects ended the tasks softer than they had started. RAP values and SE suggest high laryngeal stability in professional singers. Vibrato did not play a role in the variation of SPL in the presented cohort. The data suggest that SPL variation is mainly controlled on vocal fold level rather than by vocal tract resonances.

During social interactions, acoustic parameters of tetrapods’ vocalisations reflect the emotional state of the caller. Higher levels of spectral noise and the occurrence of irregularities (non-linear phenomena NLP) might be negative arousal indicators in alarm calls, although less is known about other distress vocalisations. Family dogs experience different levels of stress during separation from their owner and may vocalise extensively. Analysing their whines can provide evidence for the relationship between arousal and NLP. We recorded 167 family dogs’ separation behaviour including vocalisations, assessed their stress level based on behaviour and tested how these, their individual features, and owner reported separation-related problems (SRP) relate to their whines’ (N = 4086) spectral noise and NLP. Dogs with SRP produced NLP whines more likely. More active dogs and dogs that tried to escape produced noisier whines. Older dogs’ whines were more harmonic than younger ones’, but they also showed a higher NLP ratio. Our results show that vocal harshness and NLP are associated with arousal in contact calls, and thus might function as stress indicators. The higher occurrence of NLP in older dogs irrespective to separation stress suggests loss in precise neural control of the larynx, and hence can be a potential ageing indicator.

To determine if there is an association between vocal gender presentation and the gender and context of the listener. Quantitative and transversal study. 47 speakers of Brazilian Portuguese of different genders were recorded. Recordings included sustained vowel emission, connected speech, and the expressive recital of a poem. Subsequently, four scripts were used in Praat to extract 16 acoustic measurements related to prosody. Voices underwent Auditory-Perceptual Assessment (APA) of the gender presentation by 236 people [65 speech and language pathologist (SLP) with experience in the area of the voice (SLP), 101 cisgender people (CG), and 70 transgender and non-binary people (TNB)]. Gender presentation was evaluated by visual analogue scale. Agreement analyses were executed among quantitative variables and multiple linear regression models were generated to predict APA, taking the judge context/gender and speaker gender into consideration. Acoustic analysis revealed that cis and transgender women had higher median fundamental frequency (fo) values than other genders. Cisgender women exhibited greater breathiness, while cisgender men showed more vocal quality deviations. In terms of APA, significant differences were observed among judge groups: SLP judged vowel samples differently from other groups, and TNB judged speech samples differently (both p<0.001). The predictive measures for the APA varied based on the sample type, speaker gender, and judge group. For vowel samples, only SLP judges had predictive measures (fo and ABI Jitter) for cisgender speakers. In number counting samples, predictive measures for cisgender speakers included fomed and HNR for CG judges, and fomed for both SLP and TNB judges. For transgender and non-binary speakers, predictive measures were fomed for CG and SLP judges, and fomed, CPPs, and ABI for TNB judges. In the poem recital task, predictive measures for cisgender speakers were fomed and HNR for both SLP and CG judges, with additional measures of cvint and sr for CG judges, and fomed, HNR, cvint, and fopeakwidth for TNB judges. For transgender and non-binary speakers, the predictive measures included a wider range of acoustic features such as fomed, fosd, sr, fomin, emph, HNR, Shimmer, and fo peakwidth for SLP judges, and fomed, fosd, sr, fomax, emph, HNR, and Shimmer for CG judges, while TNB judges considered fomed, sr, emph, fosd, Shimmer, HNR, Jitter, and fomax. There is an association between the perception of gender presentation in the voice and the gender or context of the listener and the speaker. Transgender and non-binary judges diverged to a higher degree from cisgender and SLP judges. Compared to the evaluation of cisgender speakers, all judge groups used a greater number of acoustic measurements when analyzing the speech of transgender and non-binary individuals in the poem recital samples.

To establish the prevalence of voice disorder using the Malay-Voice Handicap Index 10 (Malay-VHI-10) and to study the determinants, quality of life, depression, anxiety and stress associated with voice disorder among secondary school teachers in Peninsular Malaysia. This study was divided into two phases. Phase I tested the reliability of the Malay-VHI-10 while Phase II was a cross-sectional study with two-stage sampling. In Phase II, a self-administered questionnaire was used to collect socio-demographic and teaching characteristics, depression, anxiety and stress scale (Malay version of DASS-21); and health-related quality of life (Malay version of SF12-v2). Complex sample analysis was conducted using multivariate Poisson regression with robust variance. In Phase I, the Spearman correlation coefficient and Cronbach alpha for total VHI-10 score was 0.72 (p < 0.001) and 0.77 respectively; showing good correlation and internal consistency. The ICCs ranged from 0.65 to 0.78 showing fair to good reliability and demonstrating the subscales to be reliable and stable. A total of 6039 teachers participated in Phase II. They were primarily Malays, females, married, had completed tertiary education and aged between 30 to 50 years. A total of 10.4% (95% CI 7.1, 14.9) of the teachers had voice disorder (VHI-10 score > 11). Compared to Malays, a greater proportion of ethnic Chinese teachers reported voice disorder while ethnic Indian teachers were less likely to report this problem. There was a higher prevalence ratio (PR) of voice disorder among single or divorced/widowed teachers. Teachers with voice disorder were more likely to report higher rates of absenteeism (PR: 1.70, 95% CI 1.33, 2.19), lower quality of life with lower SF12-v2 physical (0.98, 95% CI 0.96, 0.99) and mental (0.97, 95% CI 0.96, 0.98) component summary scales; and higher anxiety levels (1.04, 95% CI 1.02, 1.06). The Malay-VHI-10 is valid and reliable. Voice disorder was associated with increased absenteeism, marginally associated with reduced health-related quality of life as well as increased anxiety among teachers.

Phonatory Aerodynamic System (PAS Model 6600) is an evaluation instrument that assesses the effectiveness of surgical interventions, treatments, and therapy for voice disorders. It can be used for the assessment of voice disorders by supporting other perceptual and instrumental methods. It is important to establish normative data, because the use of appropriate norms is necessary for diagnostic and descriptive accuracy. Therefore, this study is aimed primarily at establishing adult normative databases for phonatory aerodynamic measures obtained with the KayPENTAX PAS Model 6600 among healthy adult Turkish speakers and then examining the effect of age, gender, and age-gender interaction variables on these measures. The contribution of the study is considered so important since it will generate normative data for all measurements—except the mean pitch—by the five protocols of PAS for the first time. Two hundred and six healthy Turkish speakers with normal voice (106 women and 100 men) were included in the study and stratified into three age groups. Forty-five phonatory aerodynamic measures across five PAS protocols (vital capacity, maximum sustained phonation, comfortable sustained phonation, variation in sound pressure level, and voicing efficiency) were collected. Age, gender, and age-gender interaction variables were analyzed for 45 PAS parameters. Significant gender and age effect was found for 30 and 19 variables, respectively. Gender-age interaction together was observed for only 6 parameters. Significant differences were not found for the remaining 10 parameters. Significant age and gender effects were observed for 35 phonatory and aerodynamic measures which are essential part of the objective clinical assessment of voice. Consequently, normative data used as reference in voice assessment should be generated according to age and gender differences.

Background: Postural correlates of vocal effort are rarely described in the literature, while they are extensively dealt with in speech therapy. Objectives: This study aims at determining whether body movement is a side effect of vocal effort or an integral part of communication effort behavior. The answer to this question is mainly based on correlations between posture and phonation. Method: Twenty healthy subjects participated in this study. They had to communicate with a listener under 3 conditions requiring different levels of vocal effort. Results: The vocal parameters increased and confirmed that the subjects had made a vocal effort. The kinematic parameters (amplitude and duration of body movement) increased with vocal effort. Lastly, vocal and kinematic characteristics were significantly correlated. Conclusion: The close correlation of posture with vocal production shows that movement is not a mere consequence of vocal effort. Posture and voice are coordinated in communication behavior, and each body segment plays its specific role in the vocal effort behavior.

Purpose: Normative data for many objective voice measures are routinely used in clinical voice assessment; however, normative data reflect vocal output, but not vocalization process. The underlying physiologic processes of healthy phonation have been shown to be nonlinear and thus are likely different across individuals. Dynamic systems theory postulates that performance behaviors emerge from the nonlinear interplay of multiple physiologic components and that certain patterns are preferred and loosely governed by the interactions of physiology, task, and environment. The purpose of this study was to descriptively characterize the interactive nature of the vocalization subsystem triad in subjects with healthy voices and to determine if differing subgroups could be delineated to better understand how healthy voicing is physiologically generated. Method: Respiratory kinematic, aerodynamic, and acoustic formant data were obtained from 29 individuals with healthy voices (21 female and eight male). Multivariate analyses were used to descriptively characterize the interactions among the subsystems that contributed to healthy voicing. Results: Group data revealed representative measures of the 3 subsystems to be generally within the boundaries of established normative data. Despite this, 3 distinct clusters were delineated that represented 3 subgroups of individuals with differing subsystem patterning. Seven of the 9 measured variables in this study were found to be significantly different across at least 1 of the 3 subgroups indicating differing physiologic processes across individuals. Conclusion: Vocal output in healthy individuals appears to be generated by distinct and preferred physiologic processes that were represented by 3 subgroups indicating that the process of vocalization is different among individuals, but not entirely idiosyncratic. Possibilities for these differences are explored using the framework of dynamic systems theory and the dynamics of emergent behaviors. A revised physiologic model of phonation that accounts for differences within and among the vocalization subsystems is described.

The vocal tract shape is crucial to voice production. Its lower part seems particularly relevant for voice timbre. This study analyzes the detailed morphology of parts of the epilaryngeal tube and the hypopharynx for the sustained German vowels /a/, /e/, /i/, /o/, and /u/ by thirteen male singer subjects who were at the beginning of their academic singing studies. Analysis was based on two different phonatory conditions: a natural, speech-like phonation and a singing phonation, like in classical singing. 3D models of the vocal tract were derived from magnetic resonance imaging and compared with long-term average spectrum analysis of audio recordings from the same subjects. Comparison of singing to the speech-like phonation, which served as reference, showed significant adjustments of the lower vocal tract: an average lowering of the larynx by 8 mm and an increase of the hypopharyngeal cross-sectional area (+ 21:9%) and volume (+ 16:8%). Changes in the analyzed epilaryngeal portion of the vocal tract were not significant. Consequently, lower larynx-to-hypopharynx area and volume ratios were found in singing compared to the speech-like phonation. All evaluated measures of the lower vocal tract varied significantly with vowel quality. Acoustically, an increase of high frequency energy in singing correlated with a wider hypopharyngeal area. The findings offer an explanation how classical male singers might succeed in producing a voice timbre with increased high frequency energy, creating a singer`s formant cluster.

Voice disorders resulting from various pathological vocal fold conditions or postoperative recovery of laryngeal cancer surgeries, are common causes of dysphonia. Here, we present a self-powered wearable sensing-actuation system based on soft magnetoelasticity that enables assisted speaking without relying on the vocal folds. It holds a lightweighted mass of approximately 7.2 g, skin-alike modulus of 7.83 × 10 5  Pa, stability against skin perspiration, and a maximum stretchability of 164%. The wearable sensing component can effectively capture extrinsic laryngeal muscle movement and convert them into high-fidelity and analyzable electrical signals, which can be translated into speech signals with the assistance of machine learning algorithms with an accuracy of 94.68%. Then, with the wearable actuation component, the speech could be expressed as voice signals while circumventing vocal fold vibration. We expect this approach could facilitate the restoration of normal voice function and significantly enhance the quality of life for patients with dysfunctional vocal folds. Addressing challenges in voice disorders, the authors present a self-powered, wearable sensor-actuator system based on magnetoelasticity. This innovation enables assisted speaking by capturing laryngeal movements and translating them into voice signals, bypassing the vocal folds.

The objective of this study was to examine whether different types of mental-imagery training focused on the vocal apparatus can enhance awareness of the vocal tract and diaphragm (vocal awareness) in non-professional singers.Sixty participants with no singing education received one of three training conditions: following instructions based on 1) a description of the physiological changes that take place during phonation (physiological description), 2) imitating an action using the vocal apparatus (imitative action), and 3) a metaphorical narration. Imitative action and metaphorical narration were conceptualized as more imaginative forms of training. Vocal awareness was assessed with a questionnaire that participants completed before and after the training. The questionnaire measured three indices: vocal apparatus representation, vocal apparatus interoceptive awareness, and vocal self-regulation. Results showed that all three types of training program significantly enhanced vocal awareness, but imitative action and metaphorical narration were more effective for interoceptive awareness, and metaphorical narration was more effective for self-regulation. In conclusion, the two imaginative forms of training were more effective than physiological description for improving vocal awareness.